Teaching speaking skill to students with low english proficiency difficulties and suggested solutions

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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES
*****************

NGUYỄN THỊ VÂN

TEACHING SPEAKING SKILL TO STUDENTS WITH LOW ENGLISH
PROFICIENCY: DIFFICULTIES AND SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS
Nghiên cứu về việc dạy kỹ năng nói cho người học có ngữ năng tiếng Anh yếu:
Những khó khăn và giải pháp

M.A. MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 601410

Hanoi - 2010


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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES
*****************

NGUYỄN THỊ VÂN

TEACHING SPEAKING SKILL TO STUDENTS WITH LOW ENGLISH
PROFICIENCY: DIFFICULTIES AND SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS
Nghiên cứu về việc dạy kỹ năng nói cho người học có ngữ năng tiếng Anh yếu:
Những khó khăn và giải pháp

M.A. MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 601410
Supervisor: DƢƠNG THỊ NỤ, PhD

Hanoi - 2010


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest thanks to my supervisor, Ms. Duong
Thi Nu, for her invaluable guidance, criticism and encouragement in the process of completing
this minor thesis.
I also wish to express my sincere thanks to all the lecturers of the Faculty of Post Graduate
Studies at University of Language and International Studies for their very useful lectures.
My profound thanks also go to the teachers and the students at College of Finance and
Business Administration for their enthusiastic help and support.
Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to my loving family and my special friends who
always encouraged and helped me to complete this study.


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ABSTRACT
The research is aimed at finding out the difficulties and some effective solutions in teaching

speaking skill to students with low English proficiency (SLEP). Two questionnaires were
designed to investigate the learning and the teaching English speaking skill of 50 randomly
selected SLEP and 6 teachers at College of Finance and Business Administration (CFBA). The
findings showed that the low motivation and the shallow, negative, and passive learning
strategies of SLEP lead to their unsuccessful outcome. In addition, from the results of the
study, some pedagogical suggestions related to creating a classroom atmosphere, praises and
rewards, opportunities of success, activities and techniques, and more learning strategies, are
offered for teachers of English.


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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
SLEP:

Students with low English proficiency

CFBA:

College of Finance and Business Administration

L1:

First language

L2:

Second language

N:

Number of cases


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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Students‘ English learning background
Table 2: Students‘ attitude and motivation to English speaking skill and English speaking skill
learning
Table 3: Students‘ strategies in English speaking skill learning
Table 4: Students‘ desires in English speaking skill learning
Table 5: Teachers‘ experience and opinion on SLEP and teaching speaking skill to SLEP
Table 6: Teachers‘ techniques in teaching English speaking skill to SLEP


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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ……………………………………………………………………i
ABSTRACT ……………………………...……………………………………………………ii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS …………………………………………………..………….....iii
LIST OF TABLES …………………………………………………………………………….iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS ………………………………………………………………………v

PART A INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………… 1
1. Rationale …………………………………………………………………………………….1
2. Aim of the study ……………………………………………………………………………..1
3. Research questions …………………………………………………………………………..2
4. Scope of the study …..……………………………………………………………………….2
5. Method of the study………………………………………………………………………….2

6. Design of the study ………………………………………………………………………....2

PART B DEVELOPMENT ….………………………………………………….4
Chapter 1

Literature Review …………………………………………………………… 4

1.1. Theoretical background of speaking skill in second language learning ……………...4
1.1.1. Definition of speaking …………………………………………………………………..4
1.1.2. Approaches to the teaching of speaking ………………………………………………...4
1.1.3. Factors affecting learners‘ speaking achievement …………………………………........6
1.1.3.1. Teachers‘ roles ………………………………………………………………………...7
1.1.3.2. Learners‘ roles ………………………………………………………………………...8
Aptitudes …………………………………………………………………………………….....8
Motivation and attitude ………………………………………………………………………...8
Learning strategies …………………………………………………………………………....11
Learners‘ needs ……………………………………………………………………………….11
1.2. Students with low English proficiency (SLEP)………………………………………..12
1.2.1. Definition of SLEP …………………………………………………………………….12
1.2.2. Ways to help SLEP …………………………………………………………………….12
Chapter 2

The study ……………………………………………………………………..15

2.1. The context ……………………………………………………………………………...15
2.2. The study ………………………………………………………………………………...15

2.2.1. Participants …………………………………………………………………………....15
2.2.2. Instruments and methodology ……………………………………………………….16
2.2.3. Data analysis …... ………. ……………………………………………………………16

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2.2.3.1. Questionnaire for students …....................................................................................16
Methodology ………………………………………………………………………………… 16
Statistical result ……………………………………………………………………………… 17
-

Students‘ English learning background ……………………………………………... 17

-

Students‘ attitude and motivation to English speaking skill and English speaking skill
learning ……………………………………………………………………………… 18

-

Students‘ strategies in English speaking skill learning ……..………………………. .21

-

Students‘ desires in English speaking skill learning ………………………...……… 25

2.2.3.2. Questionnaire for teachers ……………………………............................................27
Methodology ………………………………………………………………………………… 27
Statistical result ……………………………………………………………………………… 27
-

Teachers‘ experience, and opinion on SLEP and teaching speaking skill to SLEP.... 27

-

Teachers‘ techniques in teaching English speaking skill to SLEP……………...….... 28

Chapter 3

Findings and recommendations …………………………………………… 31

3.1. Difficulties in teaching speaking skill to SLEP …………..…………………………....31
3.2. Suggested solutions in teaching speaking skill to SLEP ……………………..……... 31
3.2.1. Creating a pleasant and supportive classroom atmosphere …………………………….31
3.2.2. Having high expectation and using reward appropriately ……………………………..32
3.2.3. Providing opportunities for students to experience success ………………………….. 33
3.2.4. Using various and interesting activities and new and effective techniques …………... 33
3.2.5. Training the students with more strategies in learning English speaking skill………... 36
3.3. An example of applying some techniques in teaching plan of English speaking …..........37

PART C CONCLUSION……………………………………………………….. 44
REFERENCE …………………………………………………………………………………..I
APPENDIX 1 Questionnaire for students ................................................................................IV
APPENDIX 2 Questionnaire for teachers................................................................................XII


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PART A

INTRODUCTION

1. Rationale

No one can deny the universality of English nowadays. Outside English-speaking countries,
English has become a compulsory component of education in many countries. This trend also
applies in Vietnam. At many schools and colleges, English is chosen as a compulsory subject
for students as English is considered to be a useful tool to access the world knowledge.
However, though the importance of English has been recognized, how it is taught can often be
questioned for several problems.
One of the problems is the existence of mixed-ability-student classes. Students in these classes
have different levels of ability. While some are successful in English language learning, others
are unsuccessful. The ones in the second group are less able in English when compared to their
peers. Their utterances are in words or short prefabricated phrases. Their grammar is mostly
inaccurate and their pronunciation requires concentrated listening. In class they are apparently
less motivated to learn. As a result, their ability can never improve (Littlejohn, 2001). For this
reason, they say goodbye to English as quickly as they can. Finding a balance in
communication with these groups of students during lectures is not an easy job for teachers. It
is also true at College of Finance and Business Administration (CFBA).
Yet, while many researchers have investigated how to teach English speaking skill to students
in general, few have introduced effective ways to teach this skill to students with low English
proficiency. This actually drives the researcher to her study, namely, “Teaching speaking skill
to students with low English proficiency: Difficulties and Suggested Solutions” for the purpose
of identifying the difficulties in teaching speaking skill to students with low English
proficiency (SLEP) and finding out some efficient techniques to help them at CFBA.
2. Aim of the study
The study is aimed at the following points:
- Investigating the current situation of learning and teaching of English speaking skill at

CFBA.
- Identifying the difficulties teachers of English at CFBA encounter in teaching speaking skill

to SLEP.
- Making some suggestions of effective ways for teachers of English at CFBA with the hope

of helping them improve their teaching of English speaking to SLEP.
3. Research questions


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With the aim of the study, the following questions are raised:
Question 1. What are the problems that teachers of English may have in teaching speaking
skill to low English proficiency students at CFBA?
Question 2. What should be done to help these students improve their speaking skill?
4. Scope of the study
Teaching speaking skill for less able students is a very popular problem at any schools and
colleges in Vietnam. However, in the study, the researcher only wants to focus on the teaching
of speaking skill to SLEP at CFBA where the researcher has taught English and has intention
of finding out the main problems in the teaching. Furthermore, in spite of being aware that
there is a variety of techniques to help students in English speaking learning, the researcher
only try to seek those which are effective for SLEP.
5. Method of the study
To fulfill the above aims, the researcher is using a survey research which is both qualitative
and quantitative. The instruments for data collection include two survey questionnaires
delivered to learners and teachers.
6. Design of the study
The minor thesis is composed of three parts:
Part A, Introduction presents the rationale, the aims, the research questions, the scope, the
method and the design of the study
Part B, Development, consists of three following chapters
1. Chapter one, Literature Review, presents the concepts relevant to the study.
2. Chapter two, The Study, presents an overview of the context of investigation, the

participants, the instruments, and the data analysis.

3. Chapter three, Findings and recommendations, summarizes the difficulties and gives

some suggested solutions in teaching SLEP speaking skill at CFBA.
Part C, Conclusion, addresses the key issues in the study and gives some ideas for the
limitations and a further research.


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PART B DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 1

Literature Review

1.1. Theoretical background of speaking skill in second language learning
1.1.1. Definition of speaking
Bygate (1997) states that speaking is a skill which deserves attention every bit as much as
literary skills, in both first and second languages. In order to carry out many of their most
basic transactions, the learners often need to be able to speak with confidence.
He also explains that there are two basic ways in which something is done can be seen as a
skill. They are motor-perceptive skills which involve perceiving, recalling, and articulating in
the correct sounds and structures of the language, and interaction skills which involve making
decisions about communication, such as: what to say, how to say it, and whether to develop it,
in accordance with one‘s intentions, while maintaining the desired relations with others.
(Bygate, 1997: 5-6)
According to Byrne (1986), speaking skill is one of two ways of oral communication process,
and is the productive skill. The speaker has to encode the message he wishes to convey in
appropriate language, while the listener has to decode (or interpret) the message. The message,
in normal speech, usually contains a good deal of ‗information‘ that is redundant; however,
one should notice that speech is often characterized by incomplete and sometimes

ungrammatical utterances, and by frequent false starts and repetition.
1.1.2. Approaches to the teaching of speaking
There are several approaches in teaching English speaking such as Grammar-Translation
Method, Direct Method, Audio-Lingual Approach, and a more modern approach, namely
Communicative Language Teaching Approach (CLT).
Grammar- translation method is a European language teaching method which focuses on
language structure and linguistic details. Its outcome is the learners‘ poor oral English ability
development with substandard pronunciation and intonation and does not allow learners to use
a language in a natural way (Widdowson, 1990, cited by Jin, 2007).
Another approach is Direct Method which is totally different from Grammar-Translation
method. It uses English directly in teaching, such as using English to make conversations or
have discussions. Students‘ English competence is developed in this way instead of using
mother tongue to translate. The basic principle of this method is that the foreign language


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learning process should be like the natural process of a child learning his or her mother tongue.
It is believed that language is a skill or habit, and this habit can be achieved by repetition and
imitation. According to Jin (2007), in spite of having some advantages such as inspiring
students‘ interests in learning English and being in favour of students‘ English pronunciation
and intonation, it has certain limitations: (1) It only focuses on experiences and perceptual
knowledge in English and it has little estimate on students‘ level of consciousness. (2) This
method rejects mother tongue in English teaching. It only sees the disadvantages of mother
tongue, but never makes use of mother tongue to facilitate students‘ comprehension. (3) After
learning English for a long time, some students may understand simple oral English but not
complicated sentences and have poor grammar skills. (4) The class size should be small in
using this method.
Audio-Lingual Approach uses sentence pattern as the base of teaching and tries to avoid
mother tongue in class. When using this method in learning English, students should first listen
and then speak. After a long time practice, students can automatically express what they had

heard. Because this method relies on repetition and drills, the main limitation is that it over
emphasizes the mechanical practice and ignores students‘ English skills training and learning
flexibility.
Communicative language teaching (CLT) is an approach to the teaching of second and foreign
languages that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning a
language. Unlike the Audio-Lingual Approach, its primary focus is on helping learners create
meaning rather than helping them develop perfectly grammatical structures or acquire nativelike pronunciation. This means that successfully learning a foreign language is assessed in
terms of how well learners have developed their communicative competence, which can
loosely be defined as their ability to apply knowledge of both formal and sociolinguistic
aspects of a language with adequate proficiency to communicate. One of the most recognized
lists of general principles or features is the list of five features of CLT by Nunan (1991):

- An emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction in the target language
- The introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation
- The provision of opportunities for learners to focus, not only on language but also on the

learning process itself
- An enhancement of the learner‘s own personal experiences as important contributing

elements to classroom learning


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- An attempt to link classroom language learning with language activities outside the

classroom
The features show that it focuses on students‘ active participation, the whole classroom is not
the teacher-centered, but students-centered one. The teacher should give students enough time
to practise during class. In addition, the English teacher should help students to be more
independent, active and fluent in using English. In real life situation, students will use the

language without teacher‘s help. When using the CLT, the teacher often organizes pair and
group work, the whole classroom setting should be arranged in favour of these activities.
In conclusion, among some approaches of the language teaching methods mentioned above.
CLT is the most appropriate way to teach students to communicate. Therefore, the researcher
decides to choose CLT as an approach for teaching speaking skill and considers it as one of the
bases of the study.
1.1.3. Factors affecting learners’ speaking achievement
Learner‘s achievements depend on several factors divided into two types: learner-external
factors and learner-internal factors. Some of them have positive effects on the process of
learner‘s second language learning while others have negative effects. One of the most
important learner-external factors is pedagogical effect which includes the role of teachers and
their method. Some of learner-internal important factors comprise learners‘ aptitude, their
motivation and attitude, their learning strategy and their need. It is also true to learning English
speaking skill.
1.1.3.1. Teachers’ roles
The main goal in teaching the productive skill of speaking will be oral fluency. This can be
defined as the ability to express oneself intelligibly reasonably accurately and without too
much hesitation. To attain this goal, the teacher has to bring the students from the stage where
they are mainly imitating a model of some kind, or responding to cues, to the point where they
can use the language freely to express their own ideas (Byrne, 1976: 10). Byrne further points
out three stages in learning and teaching oral skill and the teacher‘s specific roles to play at
different stages.
At the presentation stage, the teacher‘s main task is to serve a kind of informant when the
teacher introduces something new to be learned. There are different ways to do this such as
giving texts, activities or situations, but whatever approach the teacher uses, the procedures
must be economical and effective. Byrne shows that both dialogues and prose passages have


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advantages in the early stage of teaching spoken language, so the teacher should make best use

of them according to the needs of learners (p. 22-32).
At the practice stage, the teacher serves as a conductor and monitor when the teacher has to
devise the maximum amount of practice, which must at the same time, be both meaningful and
memorable. The author suggests some ways for the teacher to conduct and monitor at this
stage such as chorus work technique, reading aloud technique, and mechanical drills including
substitution drills, transformation (or conversion) drills. Guessing drills, imaginary situations,
open-ended responses, practicing concepts, and expressing relationships are also suggested for
the teacher to give rapid whole class practice.
At the production stage, the teacher serves as a manager and a guide when the teacher gives
the students opportunities to work on their own. At this stage, the teacher‘s main task is to
provide the students with an environment within which they can communicate easily and
freely, and within which they can work together independently with only the minimum amount
of direction from the teacher. The solution lies in forming smaller units – or group because it
provides a richer climate for interaction.
Byrne finally comes to the conclusion that the teacher plays a key role in three stages of
learning, but there is other key role that cuts across these three stages, namely, motivator.
Whatever the teacher does in the classroom, the teacher‘s ability to motivate the students, to
arouse their interest and involve them in what they are doing will be crucial. Some key factors
will be the teacher‘s ‗performance‘ – the teacher‘s mastery of teaching skills, often dependent
on careful preparation; the teacher‘s selection and presentation of topics and activities and the
teacher‘s personality, which in language teaching must be flexible enough to allow the teacher
to be both authoritative and friendly at the same time (Byrne, 1986: 3).
1.1.3.2. Learners’ roles
Aptitudes
Caroll defines aptitude as the "capability of learning a task" (1981, cited by Ellis, 1994:494).
This capability is an additional advantage in language learning but it does not guarantee one's
achievement (Ellis, 1994). Nevertheless, to be able to discover learners' aptitude helps to
explain their success in language learning (Williams and Burdens, 1997).
Examples of language aptitudes are memory for new vocabulary, the ability to memorize new
sounds and to understand how words function grammatically (Lightbown & Spada, 1993:37).

In teaching and learning, students' aptitudes provide hints of which teachers can use in
selecting activities to develop students' capabilities.


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Motivation and attitude
In language learning in general, and in speaking skill learning in particular, motivation is not
only an intensive desire for learning and acquiring knowledge of English, but also an inner
cause that push students forward in English learning with enthusiasm and willingness. It is
something like the engine and steering wheel of an automobile that can moves students from
boredom to interest. It is an inner power to drive and help students persevere in English
learning (Kong, 2009).
Ellis defines motivation as referring to ―the efforts which learners put into learning an L2 as a
result of their need or desire to learn‖ (Ellis, 1995, cited in Sasson, 2007 ). Gardner indicates
that the motivation of foreign language learning contains four aspects: a goal, effortful
behavior, a desire to attain the goal and attitude (cited in Guanjie, 1996). Students who have
strong learning motivation take a correct and positive attitude towards study and make great
efforts to master English with clear goal and desire and consequently gain better grade than
those who haven‘t acquired motivation and those students usually regard English learning as a
heavy and boring burden. It is true that motivation is such a basic factor in language learning
that no teacher could avoid being concerned with students‘ motivation.
Motivation can be described in many types and the main broad categories are intrinsic and
extrinsic motivation. The two main types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic, can affect the
learning process. Intrinsic motivation is task motivation that derives from an inherent interest
in the learning tasks while extrinsic motivation refers to the external influences that affect the
strength of learner‘s motivation such as that which comes from teachers and parents. Intrinsic
motivation is a response to needs that exist within the learner, such as curiosity, the need to
know, and feelings of competence or growth (Paul Eggen & Don Kauchak, 1994: 428). It
exists when someone works because of an inner desire to accomplish a task successfully,
whether it has some external value or not (Spaulding, 1992: 4). In contrast, extrinsic

motivation is as an outward force in the form of expectation, praise and rewards powers
students in English learning. It exists when individuals are motivated by an outcome that is
external or functionally unrelated to the activity in which they are engaged (Spaulding, 1992:
4). When students work hard to win their parents‘ favor, gain teachers‘ praise, or earn rewards
such as pocket money, we can rightly conclude that their motivation is primarily extrinsic,
their reason for work and study lie primarily outside themselves and the aim of learning is not
for the knowledge itself but the outward rewards in order to gain self-esteem. And the outward
praise and rewards encourage students to study more actively.


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Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are important, inseparable and complementary to each
other in English learning. Intrinsic motivation is the type of inner drive that propels students
forward and onward with continuous energy fueled by its own curiosity and interest. However,
in the real world not all of the students are automatically energized to perform this or that task,
or to learn about this or that topic. Sometimes, a good grade, the threat of failing and praise
move students from an inactive to an active state. The use of rewards as extrinsic motivators
has sometimes been found to increase intrinsic motivation, especially when the rewards are
contingent on the quality of the performance rather than simply on participation. It is clear that
extrinsic motivators are sometimes necessary either to get students started in the first place, or
to start them down a track that they might not know exists (Hamachek, 1989: 267).
Students are more likely to want to learn when they appreciate the value of the classroom
activities, and when they believe that they will succeed if they apply reasonable effort. Hence,
"student motivation to learn is an acquired competence developed through general experiences
but stimulated most directly through modeling, communication of expectations, and direct
instruction or socialization by significant others – especially teachers and parents‖ (Brophy,
1987: 40) When it comes to weak learners, teachers realize that such learners are accustomed
to experiencing failure, hence, the teacher‘s task is to help them experience success.
Oxford and Shearin (1994) analyze a total of 12 motivational theories or models, including
those from socio-psychology, cognitive development, and socio-cultural psychology, and

identified six factors that impact motivation in language learning:
-

Attitudes (i.e., sentiments toward the learning community and the target language)

-

Beliefs about self (i.e., expectancies about one's attitudes to succeed, self-efficacy, and
anxiety)

-

Goals (perceived clarity and relevance of learning goals as reasons for learning)

-

Involvement (i.e., extent to which the learner actively and consciously participates in
the language learning process)

-

Environmental support (i.e., extent of teacher and peer support, and the integration of
cultural and outside-of-class support into learning experience)

-

Personal attributes (i.e., aptitude, age, sex, and previous language learning
experiences.)

In summary, motivation is considered as ―a key consideration in determining the preparedness of

learners to communicate‖ (Gardner, 1985:10). Oxford & Shearin (1994) state: ―Many researchers
consider motivation as one of the main elements that determine success in a


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second or foreign language; it determines the extent of active, personal involvement in L2
learning‖.
Learning strategies
Language learning strategies refer to approaches or techniques that learners use to enhance
their progress in developing L2 skills and play an essential role in L2 learning (O‘Malley and
Chamot 1990; Oxford 1990). Most of the research indicates that there is a positive association
between strategy use and L2 achievements and that both the frequency of strategy use and the
choice of strategies are distinguishing characteristics between successful and unsuccessful
students. Moreover, Holec (1981) claims language learning strategies not only enable learners
to learn an L2 effectively and efficiently but also help develop their abilities of independent
and autonomous learning which are believed to be another important factor leading to
successful learning. According to Oxford (1990) language learning strategies are divided into
two major classes of strategy: the direct class including three groups (memory, cognitive and
compensation) that directly contributes to L2 learning and the indirect class involving three
groups (metacognitive, affective and social) which indirectly contribute to L2 learning.
Memory strategies are used for memorizing more effectively; cognitive strategies for mental
processing of information; compensation strategies for making up for limited knowledge;
metacognitive strategies for planning, monitoring and evaluating one‘s learning; affective
strategies for regulating one‘s emotions; and social strategies for cooperating with others.
Learners’ needs
Wenden (1986) proposes that teachers should outline correct learner expectations and attitudes
about how languages are learned and also explain the reasoning behind classroom methods, in
order to reduce any gap between learner and teacher beliefs. Brindley (1984) elaborates on a
distinction drawn by Richterich (1972) and Chancerel (1978) between ―objective‖ needs and
―subjective‖ needs. The ―objective‖ needs are those that can be diagnosed by teachers on the

basis of the analysis of personal data about learners along with information about their
language proficiency and patterns of language use. ―Subjective‖ needs are often wants,
desires, expectations, or other psychological manifestation of a lack. ―Subjective‖ needs
should be diagnosed so that teachers may adapt learning activities to individual needs.
In short, each factor plays a specific role in the achievement of students‘ success in L2
learning. Thus, in order to attain good result in teaching, teachers should take these factors
carefully into careful consideration.
1.2. Students with low English proficiency (SLEP)


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1.2.1. Definition of SLEP
According to Shrum and Glisan (2005), average or non-gifted students are actually one of two
groups. The first group refers to students with a learning disability. They suffer from disorders
that affect a broad range of academic and functional skills including the ability to listen, speak,
read, write, spell, reason and organize information. They need long-term assistance from
specialists. The second group refers to students whose aptitude for language learning is
minimal. They are poor language learners but if more suitable language classes are provided
they may improve. However, it is quite unfortunate that a ‗more suitable language class‘
seldom exists. Most language teachers practice according to what is concluded by McDonough
(1981, p. 138): classroom management most of the time ignores individual differences of the
learners; and a classroom of mixed ability students requires a teaching method that focuses on
a variety of activities with the hope that either one or other of the activities will help the
majority of students to some extent, while slow learners become temporarily ‗invisible‘ or
ignored.
1.2.2. Ways to help SLEP
A lot of research had been conducted to look for ways to help poor language learners. In the
study ―Searching for better language learning strategies‖ conducted by Takeuchi (2003), the
result showed that poor language learners used fewer strategies in language learning than
successful. The former often used deep, L2-based, association, active participation, language

use, positive-attitude taking and learning-process monitoring strategies that are likely to make
more contributions to successful L2 learning while the latter tended to use surface, L1- based,
word-level, rote memory and gesture strategies. Chung (1999) conducted an experiment in
Taiwan and found that when the lessons were prepared to match the level of the learners, there
was no significant difference in achievement between fast learners and poor learners. In
addition, one of the results in the study conducted by Gan, Humbpreys & Hamp-Lyons (2004)
showed that unsuccessful language learners believed that teachers paid interest only to
successful ones and did not give them enough help. They felt they were forgotten. These
studies implied that it is possible to help slow learners by training them to use more language
learning strategies or showing them that they are not forgotten by preparing lessons that are
more suitable to their learning styles.
Theoretically, Hadley (2001: 94-105) proposed five hypotheses that would be conducive to the
achievement of language teaching goals, but only some of them seem applicable to slow
learners. The most important hypothesis that is really applicable to poor language learners is to
tailor a lesson that is responsive to the affective as well as the cognitive needs of students. The


19
students should be settled in a classroom environment that lowers their anxiety, increases their
confidence and encourages their willingness to communicate (Chan, 2002). Balado (2001) and
Lescano (1995) suggested the following practical ideas to help teachers understand slow
learners and work with them in a more effective way:
-

Their weakest skills are writing and reading. Focus priority goals on oral expression
and listening skills and devote less time and effort to polishing grammar and detailed
reading.

-

Use lots of praise and reinforcement. Also, slow learners need repetition.

-

Limit the working time and have several short work periods rather than one long one.

-

Add variety to the academic routine. Do active things and use educational games,
puzzles, and other techniques as much as possible.

-

Work on material that is somewhat challenging but allows success. Work that is too
hard or too easy is a turn-off.

-

Make learning fun and comfortable.

-

Provide meaningful, concrete activities rather than abstract ones.

In conclusion, for some specific characteristics of SLEP, teaching English speaking to them is
a challenge to teachers of English. Aptitude seems somewhat that cannot be changed easily,
but other elements such as their motivation, strategies are things that teachers can make a
positive effect on. Therefore, investigating and understanding what they think, how they learn,
and what they really need or want is actually an essential job of teachers for the progress of
their learning achievement.

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Chapter 2

The Study

The study begins with the description of the situation where the study was conducted. The next
part is an overview of participants and instruments of the study. Finally, it is the presentation of
statistics and data analysis and findings.
2.1. The context
The study was conducted at CFBA in Hung Yen, where English is the only foreign language
taught as a non-major subject. Students at CFBA study English in the three first terms, each of
which lasts about 9 weeks with 45 forty-five minute periods. New Headway at elementary
level is the course book used in the first and the second terms for the purpose of improving
speaking and listening skills for the students. In the third term, the students take a book,
namely English in Business and Finance, as the course book for the practice of comprehension
reading and translation. After finishing each term, the students have to take an English exam
consisting of 2 parts: writing and speaking.
The students at CFBA come from different provinces, mainly from rural areas. Most of them
have studied English before, but many are not good at speaking. They are divided into
different classes and study every subject together. This fact forms multi-level classes. In
English classes, while some are good at English, others have much lower English proficiency.
Helping the second group to learn English in general, and English speaking skill in particular
is a really problematic issue for teachers of English at CFBA.
English department at CFBA consists of 12 teachers of English, aged from 16 to 48, and they
are all experienced in teaching English.
2.2. The study
2.2.1. Participants

In order to get information to fulfill the aims of the study, two survey questionnaires were
designed. The first questionnaire was administered to 50 randomly selected first-year students,
aged from 18 to 20, from different classes of different departments at college. They had got
bad results in English writing tests and speaking test, and had to retake the English exam in the
first term. The researcher chose them as the respondents because of two reasons. Firstly, they
had finished an English course for communication, so it is easy for them to evaluate what and
how they had learned in English speaking lessons. Secondly, based on their bad results in the
exams, it can be concluded that they are the ones that have very low English proficiency, so
they are suitable to the study.


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The second questionnaire was administered to 6 teachers who teach English at CFBA. These
teachers include 2 males, and 4 females, aged from 26 to 34. Two of them were trained from
full-time training courses on English language and the rest were trained in English language
teaching at College of Foreign Languages.
2.2.2. Instruments and methodology
As mentioned above, the instruments of the study were two questionnaires: one administered
to 50 students and the other administered to 6 teachers. The two questionnaires were designed
for the aim of the research, and based on the knowledge studied in previous researches which
were mentioned briefly in the literature review. They were delivered to the participants first,
then collected and analyzed carefully. The respondents were all introduced how to complete
the questionnaire carefully first, and also expected to complete every question. To ensure the
reliability of the questionnaire for student-respondents, the researcher used the Vietnamese
version, and asked them not to discuss when they fulfill the questionnaire in a specific time
with 30 minutes.
2.2.3. Data analysis
2.2.3.1. Questionnaire for students
Methodology
The questionnaire for students consists of 14 questions written in Vietnamese (translated from

its English version) with the hope to strengthen the reliability and validity of the data
collection. The questionnaire was designed to investigate three key issues related to the
speaking skill achievement of a student: (1) the attitude, and motivation of SLEP to English
speaking skill and the learning of this skill at CFBA; (2) the strategies they often use; and (3)
the desires they have in their English speaking learning. The questions of the first issue were
mainly designed on the basis of the motivational theories by Spaulding (1992), and Oxford and
Shearin (1994). The questions of the second issue were based on the theory of learning
strategies and Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) by Oxford (1990) and Oxford
(1989), but SILL was modified for the purpose of the study. Finally, the desires of the students
were almost inquired in the light of the practical ideas by Balado (2001) and Lescano (1995).
The questions were divided into 4 different categories:
-

Students‘ English learning background (Questions 1, 2)

-

Students‘ attitude and motivation to English speaking skill and English speaking skill
learning (Questions 3 - 6)

-

Students‘ strategies of English speaking skill learning (Questions 7-14)


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-

Students‘ desires in English speaking skill learning (Question 15)

Statistical result
-

Students’ English learning background
Question
1.

Did you learn English before college?

2.

If yes, how long did you learn English
Less than 1 year
From 1 year to 3 years
From 4 years to 7 years
More than 7 years

Table 1: Students’ English
It can be seen from the table that most of the respondents (94%) have learnt English before
college. Only three of them (6 %) have never studied the foreign language. The table also
shows that only 6% of the participants have had less than 1 year for English studying and the
majority (64%) have had from 1 to 3 years of learning English. Some of them (20%) have
studied English from 4 to 7 years and no one has had more than 7 years in learning English.
The figures indicate that most of the students have had a basic knowledge of English before
college. Therefore the vocabulary and the grammar items introduced in the course book,
namely New Headway at Elementary level, are supposed to be already acquired. As the result,
the purpose of the course that is not to spend too much time on vocabulary and grammar but
how to improve the students‘ skills in using English in general and in speaking in particular is
reasonable.
-

Students’ attitude and motivation to English speaking skill and English speaking
skill learning
Question
3

Why do you learn English speaking?
because it is a compulsory subject
to have a good job in the future
because it is very interesting

to communicate with foreigners and improve knowledge
More ideas (specify):


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4.

-

‗to have a good certificate after college‘

-

‗to study or work abroad if I have a chance‘

How is English speaking skill important to you?
Very important
Quite important

Normally important
A little important
Not important at all
More ideas (specify): no response

5.

How do you often feel when you are in English speaking class?
‗I feel interested.‘
‗I feel confident.‘
‗I feel bored.‘
‗I usually feel anxious, especially when my name is called.‘
‗I feel unwilling to communicate.‘
More ideas (specify):

6.

-

‗I want to participate but I feel unconfident.‘

-

‗I like learning English speaking much but I dare not speak.‘

What are the factors that make you feel bored, anxious, or unwilling
to speak English in class?
Being afraid of losing face when making a mistake
Being not used to speaking
Feeling of being forgotten

Difficult topics introduced in the course book
Boring teaching
More ideas (specify):
-

‗I feel anxious because my teacher speaks so fast that I don‘t understand
what she says and don‘t know what to say.‘

-

‗I dare not speak because I don‘t remember words when I speak English.‘

-

‗I think my teacher seems not to be patient to listen to me because I usually
speak so slowly, so she/ he usually ignores me to save time, and it makes


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me de-motivated.‘
-

‗I have no time to talk because better ones speak too much.‘

Table 2: Students’ attitude and motivation to English speaking skill and English speaking
skill learning
From the data collected from question 3, it can be seen that 90 % of the respondents learn
English speaking because they think it is helpful for them to have a good job in the future and
a nearly same number (82%) state that they learn this skill because it is a compulsory subject
at college. Only 34% of the respondents claim that they study English because it is interesting,

and to the researcher‘s surprise, over a half (54%) of the respondents asserts that they learn
English to communicate with foreigners and improve their knowledge. In the part of giving
more ideas, one of the SLEP states that she wants to learn English speaking to have a good
certificate after finishing her study at college, and another gives his own idea that he studies
English to have a chance to study or work abroad. From the statistics and information of
question 3, it is possible to state that most of the SLEP have extrinsic motivation rather than
intrinsic one. In other words, extrinsic motivation overwhelms intrinsic motivation. There is a
surprise to the researcher that even though the students do not think that they learn English
because it is interesting, many of them have the idea of communicating with foreigners and
improving knowledge as a goal of learning English speaking. The finding makes the researcher
have a thought in mind that whether the students will be more interested in English if they
have a chance to meet foreigners and approach meaningful materials in English related to their
majors.
It can be also calculated from questions 4, and 5 in the table that all of the SLEP (100%)
suppose speaking is an important skill from normally to highly important scale, but very few
(6%) often feel interested in English speaking class. 68% of the respondents often feel
anxious, 50% of them often get bored, and 48% of them often have no desire to speak out in
English class. Two respondents further state that they actually like and want to participate in
speaking activities but feel unconfident and dare not speak. Therefore, it can be concluded
from question 4, and question 5 that although the students acknowledge clearly the importance
of English speaking skill, they have no or very low interest, willingness, confidence, or desire
in participating in English speaking learning. These students have very low motivation and
attitude to English speaking skill and the learning of this skill.
Question 6 is aimed at finding out why they have such feelings as anxiety, boredom, and
unwillingness. It reveals that 84% of the respondents think that they feel bored, anxious, or
unwilling to speaking English in class because they are not used to speaking English. 80%


25
believe that it is due to the feeling of being forgotten in class. The number of respondents who

think that the reason is related to difficult topics introduced in the course book accounts only
10%, and 28 % of the students think it is the boring teaching that leads to such feelings. In
addition, being afraid of losing face also has a specific effect on the attitude and motivation of
the respondents with the colleted response-statistics of 48%. One of the SLEP gives more
details of why she feels anxious that her teacher often speaks so fast that she can‘t understand
and does not know what to say. Another one claims that because of the sudden disappearance
of vocabulary in her mind when speaking, she dare not speak. One student thinks that his
teacher often ignores him because she is not patient enough to listen to him, and it makes him
de-motivated. The last additional idea is about the much more speaking time of better peers. In
short, it can be inferred that the most popular elements affecting the feeling of the SLEP at
CFBA are their passive learning habit and the feeling of being forgotten which results from the
ignorance of teachers and the more prominent performance of better learners. The topics
introduced in the course book seem not to be a problem to them. There is one point that should
be noticed in this question is that although few SLEP think teaching affects them, the speaking
speech of teachers is one problem to these students.
In summary, table 2 provides some very useful information on motivation and attitude of the
SLEP at CFBA to English speaking skill and the learning of this skill. Firstly, it turns out that
they have extrinsic motivation rather than intrinsic one when there is a largest number of
respondents choosing getting a good job in the future as a goal in their learning. Another
finding is the contrast between the SLEP‘s positive perception of speaking skill importance
and the de-motivated feeling they have in class mainly due to the passive habit of their
learning and the feeling of being invisible. The result reveals that it is the extrinsic motivation
that drives the SLEP to learn English speaking, but with a very low level of motivation, it is
inevitable to state that it seems hard for them to improve their studying.
-

Students’ strategies in English speaking skill learning
Question
7.

What do you often do when you cannot think of a word
conversation in English?

‗I use another word or phrase that means the same thing
‗I use Vietnamese, instead.‘
More ideas (specify):
- ‗I ignore it.‘