SKKN the methods encourage primary students to speak english in the classroom

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CONTENT
INDEX
1.INTRODUCTION..................................................................................
......
1.1. The reason for choosing the topic....................................................
1.2. The purpose of research.............................................................
1.3. The objects of research................................................................
1.4. The method of research...............................................................
1.5. The new points of the experience idea……………..……………..
2.
THE
CONTENT
OF
THE
EXPERIENCE
IDEA
…..............................
2.1. The rationale of the experience idea..……………………………
2.1.1.Characteristics of children……………………………………
2.1.2.“How to make students speak English in the classroom?”….....
2.2. The current situation before applying the experience idea….…
2.2.1. School facilities…………………………………………………
2.2.2. Students and their parents………………………………………
2.2.3. Teachers…………………………………………………………
2.3. The solutions of implementation…………………………….....
2.3.1. Establish your 100% goal from Day 1….……………………
2.3.2. Write first, speak later……..……………….…………………
2.3.3. Mix it up…………………………..…………………..………
2.3.4. Start (almost) every class with free conversation.……………
2.3.5. Arrange the classroom so that students are sitting in rows..........

2.3.6. Do the "Speaking Marathon" at least twice …………………
2.3.7. Turn regular activities into information-gaps…………...………
2.4. The effect of the experience idea ………………….……………
3.
CONCLUSION
AND
SUGGESTION….……………….
……………….
3.1. Conclusion……………………………………………….………
3.2. Suggestion………………………………………………..………
REFERENCE DOCUMENT…………………………………………..

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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. The reason for choosing the topic
Language is both a means of an expression and a means of keeping the
cultural values of the nation that produces language. Therefore, language courses
are to equip students with new communication tools and through the use of
communication tools, students acquire the cultural values of ethnic groups
including knowledge of the country, people, customs, science and technology ...
Today with the importance in the world in general and Vietnam in particular,
English was chosen as required courses at schools, this is the advantage to promote
the students to learn better.
The goal of the English is to help students to form and develop the basic
skills of English and intellectual qualities needed to further educate or enter
working life. We can say that one of the positive expressions, typicals of students
in learning English is that students need to acquire knowledge and skills applied to
communication, know how to work in pairs, groups and cooperate with partners if
necessary during practicing speaking and writing, know to initiatively present his

or her intention to communicate through speaking or writing.
In today's modern world, learning spoken English has many advantages.
English is fast becoming the international language of many fields, including
politics, business and education. Not only is English used between native speakers
and non-native speakers, but it is also used increasingly as a common language in
interactions between non-native speakers. When you are asked to make a lecture in
English, you can put it to good use. When you need to make a foreign friend, you
just try a little in other ways except for English. For example, traveling abroad to
know more western customs and culture personally, making friends with foreigners
because you can communicate freely with them in English, enjoying more classic
western plays, films and literatures and so on. Having a good grasp of spoken
English helps you to improve your chances of employment. Therefore, spoken
English is an important and fundamental tool in today's global village.
Working as a teacher of English in Yen Tho Primary School in Yen Dinh
district, Thanh Hoa province makes me think about the topics “teaching English for
children” and “student motivation” a bit deeper than I probably would. When I first
started to work with young learners, it raised questions in my mind. For example:


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“Whether children like to learn English or not?”, “How can I inspire them?” “What
strategies should be used to fit children’s characteristics?”, “What should be done
to motivate young learners?” and the most important “How to encourage students
speak English in the classroom?”. Besides, many children living in the countryside
generally, in my region particularly are often provided with limited facilities in
learning a foreign language. In other words, these young learners will have to deal
with more obstacles in acquiring a foreign language rather than those living in a
city. The current context inspires me to study the issue of primary students’
motivation in English so that I could understand the motivation underlying my
pupils’ learning process and I myself can find better teaching methods to help them

have a foundation of English at their early stage of learning. There are a lot of
teaching methods which can be used to motivate students to speak English and
today I would like to show my experience idea about “The methods encourage
primary school students to speak English in the classroom”.
1.2. The purpose of research
Teaching English, especially for children, should be enjoyable, interesting,
repetitive, and understandable. In doing so, there should be appropriate methods for
students to speak English and my following idea is one of the most perfect methods
which motivates students and help them to be more interested in learning English,
develop their English skills and feel more confident and natural in speaking
English. I wish all of my students could catch the new language enthusiastically
and be good at four skills, especially speaking skill, they could be able to
communicate in English. With my own experience in teaching English in the
primary school, I have observed, studied and recognized that the teachers of
English should apply my methods “The methods encourage primary school
students to speak English in the classroom” in their teaching. I hope that other
teachers who encounter the similar teaching contexts may have some suggestions to
improve their own situation.
1.3. The objects of research
- The students in grade 5 of Yen Tho Primary School (they take part in
English classes with the curriculum of 2 periods per week). Basing on the result of
two surveys I made in second semester of school year 2019 - 2020 and the first
semester of school year 2020 - 2021 for the students in grade 5, I analyze their
improvement after they are taught to speak English with the method and find out
the effectiveness of the method in teaching speaking English.


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- The vocabulary, model sentences and dialogues in the text book TiengAnh5
(Macmillan - The Ministry of Training and education publisher) are materials

which support my research.
1.4. The method of research
In the process of my study on this theme, I myself have used a combination of
the following study methods:
1. Method of observation: the person, who implements the project, looks for
new research, visit colleagues’classes.
2. The method of exchange, discussion: after visiting the classes of colleagues,
colleagues take an attendance at the lectures of the person that implements
the project, colleagues and the person implements the project start to
exchange and discuss to draw experiences from those lessons.
3. Studying reasoning: firstly, I think of the topic which I am going to study. In
the other words, I brainstorm the research idea and clarify the theories about
the problem by searching the information on the internet, reading reference
books, newspaper, document, lesson plans…So that I can form theorical
foundation for my own research. After that, I identify the research questions
to find the solutions for them.
4. Analyzing the real situation: Identifying the grade 5 students’ level in Yen
Tho Primary School, the facility of the school, the attitude of students toward
the subject,….
5. Experimenting the method: This is the main step which shows the effect of
the research. When applying the method, the teacher of English finds
students more dynamic and they are keen on the funny actions used by their
teacher, which help them memorize the target language and feel confident in
English communication.
6. Reporting the results and drawing the conclusion: This will be the suggestion
for myself and other teachers of English to apply the method for their own
teaching.
1.5. The new points of the experience idea
- Interaction between the learner and users of the language.
- Collaborative creation of meaning.

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- Creating meaningful and purposeful interaction through language.
- Negotiation of meaning as the learner and his or her interlocutor arrive at
understanding.
- Learning through attending to the feedback learners get when they use the
language.
- Paying attention to the language one hears (the input) and trying to
incorporate new forms into one’s developing communicative competence.
- Trying out and experimenting with different ways of saying things.


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2. THE CONTENT OF THE EXPERIENCE IDEA
2.1. The rationale of the experience idea
Your first reaction may be that this is an unrealistic goal, one that you may
have presented to your students before, but a goal they have always failed to
achieve. You may be in a classroom situation where the students speak 10-20%
Vietnamese. Or your students may not speak much at all.
The essence of new teaching reason is a positive and creative promotion of
students, students-centered, studentsare the subject of the learningactivity, the
teacher is the organizer who guides themto receive new knowledge, practices
language through a variety of communicative activities.
2.1.1. Characteristicofchildren
In learning language, children begin learning simple expressions. Broadly
speaking, children learn rules of language from which they listen, and even they
also learn expressions that they have never heard before. It is extremely important
that teachers not only get children to learn language, but they also encourage them
to learn it positively. Children aged 8-10 are mature enough; They have a particular

point of view; They are able to describe the difference between facts and fictions;
They are curious of asking questions; They believe in what is said and the real
world to express and comprehend the meaning; They have distinct options about
what they like and what they dislike; They open to what happens in the classroom
and begin asking a teacher’s decision; and They can cooperate with each other and
learn from others. In addition, children are competent mother tongue users. In the
context of teaching, most people assume that children learn a foreign language in
the same way that they learn their mother tongue. Basically, children are potential
in acquiring and learning a foreign language, and even they learn it more quickly
than those who are learning the foreign language after puberty. On the contrary,
children are less capable of absorbing or acquiring a foreign language optimally
2.1.2. “How to make primary students speak English in the classroom?”
At first you might get frustrated when students speak their own language in
class. Keep this checklist in mind and it may help.
- Always present yourself as an English speaker, right from the start.
- Don’t be tempted to lapse into the students’ language to explain, regain
control or reply to a question. Patiently reply in English.
- Don’t be tempted to slow down.


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- You may feel put off when they call to each other in their mother tongue
What’s she saying?” Use pictures, gesture, facial expression and rephrasing
to get your message across.
- Lapsing into quick explanations in their language will undermine your role.
Tuning-in will take time! Keep at it!
2.2. The real situation before applying the experience idea
2.2.1.School’s facilities
Yen Tho Primary School is located in the north of Yen Dinh District. Most
of the teachers here are helpful and kind hearted. They are all well trained.

In addition, the local government always concerns about Yen Tho school’s
teaching and learning. On the other hand, Yen Tho school has many difficulties:
over-sized class with 25 to 31 students in a class . English is a new subject which
has been taught in primary schools in Yen Dinh district for about 13 years. And the
new English text book has been taught for 8 years. So it’s also lack of English
teaching materials:flash cards, reference books, VCD player, television,….The
school has only one teacher of English, therefore, it is difficult to arrange the school
timetable, especially, for the new curriculum of the text book, students learn 2
periods per week instead of 4 periods per week.
2.2.2. Students and their parents
Because of living in the local area, all of the students’ parents are farmers
and workers. They spend all time on the fieldor companies to earn living, they pay
little attention to their children’ studying. Students are not willing to learn, to do
homework. Moreover, they have special voice: local voice, it makes them hard to
pronounce exactly. Living skills of the students are not as good as the town or
city’students. Most of them are shy, afraid of speaking (of course, not only
speaking English). Most of the students at Yen Tho Primary School as at many
other schools do not know how to learn English effectively. They do not know how
to use English to communicate to each other. They are shy, afraid of making
mistakes. In this area, students do not have chance to talk to the foreigners, do not
have enough English materials to study….Moreover, English is not easy subject
with much more words, sentence parterns, proverb…. And their parents cannot help
the children with the homework or practice of speaking.
2.2.3. Teachers
Being a teacher of English in a primary school for over ten years, I find it
necessary to study more about teaching approaches to help my students to be better


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at English, not only in grammar but also in developing four skills,

especiallystudents can use the English they learn to communicate.
In fact that, as one of young teachers of English, I have a lot of difficulties in
teaching because of the class size, the students’ characteristic and the yearly
changing of the text book . I often receive similar questions from many students: “I
can understand the use of sentences and do the exercises easily but I feel
embarrassed to talk in English because the lack of vocabulary and how I can catch
the new language in class” or “ what I should do to remember the new words
quickly and use them in suitable situations” or “I am afraid of making mistake”....
In my reality of teaching, there are many students who are afraid of speaking and
expressingthemselves to the teachers. On the other hand, I often hear a lot of
complains from the colleagues: “students seem so quiet and lazy, they are not
interested in learning English during English lessons. It is difficult for young
learners to take part in English class activities”.
In order to solve this problem, in final-semester of school year 2019 - 2020, I
had a small survey with the students of grade 4 (now they are in grade 5) with a
spoken test within 1 period:
Result:
No Class Sizes

Good

Pretty

Average

Bad

Worst

No

%

No

%

No

%

No

%

No

%

1

5A

35

4

11,4

5

14,3

10

28,6

9

25,7

7

20

2

5B

30

3

10

5

16,6

8

26,7

8

26,7

6

20

3 Total 65

7

10,8

10

15,4

18

27,7

17

26,1

13

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The result shows that students have some difficulties in speaking English.
They understand the new knowledge in English class but they can’t practice
speaking out. I think that I should find out the effective method which helps
students to memorize the new language easily and confidentlycommunicatein
English. And my idea is the best way which I should apply. However, to be apply it
perfectively, we should use this method as a small technique in each lesson,
because this requires students’ movement and if it lasts long time, it will make our
students get tired of it.


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2.3. The solutions of implementation
What follows are some techniques that I have found to be successful in
getting my students to speak mostly in English.
2.3.1. Establish your 100% goal from Day 1
On the first day of class make your expectations clear to your students. I
usually have my students make a pact with both me and themselves. The students
read the promises (see below) and I elaborate on each a bit. Next, the students sign
their names in agreement.
My Promises
I promise to try to speak as much as possible.
I promise not to be afraid of making mistakes.
I promise not to speak any Vietnamese.
I promise to use English to communicate.
I promise to ask questions when I do not understand.
I promise to try to have fun!
You can go back to these promises from time to time throughout the process

of searching method as necessary.
Moreover, inform your students with the main goal of speaking and the
importance of developing speaking skills. Model speaking with one of your best
students so everyone can see what to say. Students also need to know how to say
something. Without understanding why,what, and how, many students think it is not
important to do anything.

Speaking English activities in grade 5


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When it comes to motivation, the best kind comes from within. Ultimately,
students will speak when it’s important to them. Have students decide what they
want to get out of the class and why they want to speak English. At the beginning
of the school year, you can have students write down some specific skills they hope
to gain from the class and why those are important to them.
For example, if they want to talk with a foreign friend, they will need to
speak English fluently. When students are self-motivated by a personal goal, this
will serve as encouragement to participate in the activities that will help them to
reach their goal. No arm-twisting required.
2.3.2. Write first, speak later
For students who struggle to speak English, it can be very helpful to write
out a script first and then practice speaking it. Writing gives students the time to
think through what they will say, check their grammar and look up any words or
phrases they don’t know. This is especially helpful for beginners who simply
haven’t learned enough English to carry on a conversation off the top of their head.
You can give them scripted speaking activities by having them write out a
conversation with a partner based on a specific conversational topic, such as what
they would say if they ran into a friend on the street, how they would interact with
a waiter in a restaurant or how they would ask a stranger for directions. This will

help with their confidence when they find themselves in these scenarios in a real
English-speaking setting.
Example: Grade 5 – Book 2: Unit 15: What would you like to be in the
future? Lesson 1 (page 30):

First, motivating students to write down all words about jobs they knew or
learnt.
Second, students practice in pairs model sentences they learnt when they
were in grade 4:
Student A: What does your father do?
Student B: He’s a doctor. What about your father?
Student A: He’s an engineer.


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Third, they practice in pairs new model sentences “What would you like to
be in the future?”
Student A: What would you like to be in the future?
Student B: I’d like to be a doctor, like my father?
2.3.3. Mix it up
Sometimes students might simply lose interest in a certain speaking activity.
To avoid this, use different methods to motivate students by challenging them. You
can have them record their conversations, sing along to songs or present material to
the class. Finding new ways to incorporate speaking will keep lessons fresh and
interesting, which will help students stay engaged.
You can even use authentic content to model conversations and encourage
shadowing. Alternatively, students can act out a scene they view in video, trying to
mimic the tone and pronunciation as best as they can.
Students can also make a video by themselves after the lesson in order to
practice pronunciation day by day. And decause in a private school like Yen Tho

Primary school, students don’t have chance to communicate English with a
foreigner, I think this idea is one of the best ways for my lovely students to practice
speaking.
Example: Grade 5 – Book 2: Unit 14: What happened in the story? Lesson
1 (page 24)

After finishing lesson 1, just encourage students to retell “The story of Mai
AnTiem” at home and ask them to use a mobile phone to make a video. Then they
can send their teacher for comment.

A picture from a video made by student at home.


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2.3.4. Start (almost) every class with free conversation
If I had to choose one technique that is the most effective for getting students
motivated and speaking in English this would definitely be my choice. Have the
students sit facing a partner and tell them they have to talk on a topic for a set time.
They absolutely must not speak any English during this time! Possible topics are
yesterday, TV, movies, sports, etc. I usually do this for 2-3 minutes at the beginning
of a lesson. Over the past few years I have noticed that whenever I fail to have the
students do free conversation at the beginning of class, they often speak much more
Vietnamese and the class generally is not as successful. Free conversation works
because it warms the students up, and it gives them the sense that English can be
used for real communication.
Example: Grade 5 – Book 1: Unit 3: Where did you go on holiday? Lesson
1;2(page 18;20)
After lesson1 and lesson 2: In a group of five, students ask and answer
questions they learnt.
Student A: Where did you go on holiday?

Student B: I go to Ha Long Bay? (He uses go instead of went)
Student A: How did you get there?
Student B: I went in train? (He uses in instead of by)….
Don’t correct the students’ mistakes at the same time they make because it
makes them less confident to go on speaking English.

Speaking English in groups freely.


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2.3.5. Arrange the classroom so that students are sitting in rows facing
each other
As with free conversation, I have noticed whenever I fail to arrange the
chairs in this fashion the students have been much more reticent to speak out.
Ideally, there will be no desks or barriers between the students, only chairs in two
rows facing each other (see diagram below). There is something magical about this
arrangement that gets the students talking. It may work because the students are out
in the open and have nowhere to hide and so feel obliged to speak only English.
Also, sitting face to face affords direct eye contact which somehow improves
communication in English.

Another advantage of this arrangement is that it allows for a very easy and
fair way to change partners. Students simply stand up and move in a clockwise
direction a set number of chairs and end up sitting across from a new partner.
2.3.6. Do the "Speaking Marathon" at least twice during your course
I usually do the speaking marathon in the fourth or fifth lesson and after that
once or twice more as needed.
SPEAKING MARATHON
Work with a partner. You can talk about anything you like with your partner,
but you can't stop talking! If you stop for more than 3 seconds, your team is out!

Also, if you speak any Vietnamese your team is out! Which team can keep talking
the longest?!
I tell the students they can say anything when they can't think of what to say,
but they must fill in the silence. They can say "umm...", "Let's see...", "chicken",
"kitchen", and so on. Amazingly, students usually pause very little, and I have often
had groups go on for 20-30 minutes without pausing for more than three seconds.
During this activity you must act as a "policeman" and go from group to group


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counting off three seconds and noting when a group has spoken Japanese or has
stopped for more than three seconds. However, it's best if you don't tell a group
when they are out so that everyone continues speaking for as long as possible.
There is simply no better way to build students' speaking confidence than the
speaking marathon.
2.3.7. Turn regular activities into information - gaps
You can do what is called the “information gap” activity with students to
encourage speaking. Give only SOME students certain information, a text or
picture, for example, the other students must use English to find out what
information they are missing. Successful pair practice and language games include
“information gaps” can encourage students to talk and ask questions to discover
what information they do not have.
Information-gaps force the students to communicate in English more than in
activities where knowledge is shared. I have rarely heard students speak
Vietnamese while doing information-gap activities, and for this reason I use them
liberally.
Example: Grade 5 – Book 1: Unit 9: What did you see at the zoo? Lesson 1
(page 58):
Revising words about animals at the zoo:
tigers

crocodiles

peacocks

pythons

Having a student stand in front of the class with some flashcards of animals
without saying anything. The other students guess which animals they are through
observing the gesture or the sounds others students mime.
Student A: What did you see at the zoo?
Student B: …(miming the sound of an animal)
Student A: Did you see tigers?
Student B: Yes, I did (No, I didn’t)


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Student C plays a role as a reporter, he or she has to write down the
information then speak aloud in front of the class.
Student C: A saw tigers at the zoo.
B saw peacocks at the zoo. …
2.4. The effect of the experience idea
The survey was made afterthe first semester when students are in Grade 5 at
that time- school year 2020 - 2021.
The spoken test (within 1 period).
The result:
No Class Sizes

Good

Pretty

Average

Bad

Worst

No

%

No

%

No

%

No

%

No

1

5A

35

12

34,3

9

25,7

11

31,4

3

8,6

0

2

5B

30

10

33,3

9

30

8

26,7

3

10

0

3 Total 65

22

33,9

18 27,7

19

29,2

6

9,2

0

%

Basing on the above result, it is clearly to see the better result of the present
survey comparing with the result of the past survey:
Good quality increases from 10,8% up to 33,9%
Pretty quality increases from15,4% to 27,7%
Average quality increases from 27,7% to 29,2%
The bad quality reduces from 26,1% down to 9,2%
The worst quality reduces from 20% down to 0%.
Contrasting the result of two surveys, the good and pretty quality increasing;
the average, bad and worst quality reducing has proved that the method I applied to
encourage students speak English is the suitable method to teach spoken English. It


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not only enhances student to involve much more in the lesson but also encourages
the shy students to take part in the activities of the whole class.
Applying the experienced initiative, in fact,has brought satisfactory result.


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3. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

3.1. Conclusion
The method “The ways to make students speak English in classroom” is
based on the combination between speech and action. When my method is applied
in the classroom, learning English is more interesting to children. In English

lessons, making the spoken language must come prior to speaking, comprehension
is developed through body movement, and the period of listening period helps a
learner to be ready to speak. The young learners are not embarassed when they are
speaking English. This method is interesting, creative, memorable and fun, without
lots of thinking and much writing. After applying the new method of teaching,
students are keen on learning English and have better result. Furthermore, they are
more active in speaking English and express themselves. The research has shown
that teachers know that children are interested in learning by doing or actively
involved in the learning process.
Those are my thoughts and the practical work which I have done to improve
the quality of primary students in English. It is difficult to avoid the shortcoming; I
hope I will be given the suggestions from the colleagues to make my initiative
completely and applied widely. When I write this experienced initiative, I really
wish my students will not only have more useful knowledge to learn English well
but also give them the most effective method to memory the new language and I
realize that it helps to promote students’ activeness and creation. Moreover
overcomethe mistakes, difficulties which students meet in improving four skills,
especially, listening skill and speaking skill. The method mentioned in the topic
will help them reduce difficulties and be more confident in speaking English.
Besides, this is a useful document for English teachers to refer in the process of
teaching thebeginning-level students in English.
3.2. Suggestion
In the area of development, it is the young generation who are the pioneers to
connect Vietnam with international friends, so they are the ones who need to learn
more, devote their best ability for a rich and flourish country, and compare with the
great powerful countries in the world. And so, the way to lead them to success is to


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learn, to hear, to speak, and to communicate in English very well! With that

importance, I strongly suggest as follows:
3.2.1. For young learners
We give them some playgrounds, clubs to speak English at school. By
coordinating with English professional groups, other professional groups as well as
and other organizations, weekly or monthly and special anniversary holidays of the
year, we must have real plans and encourage weaker students to participate.
3.2.2. For teachers
In addition to teaching in the classroom, teachers need to visit class,
supervise colleagues not only in schools but also take time to visit colleagues in
school groups. Regularly organize their teaching subjects in accordance with the
actual situation of the school and classroom. It has to be evaluated, contributed
ideas and give honest and accurate comment each lesson.
3.2.3. For school leaders
Next to the overall leadership of the school's work, it is necessary to add
equipments for teaching, listening, watching and learning English at school, school
leaders need more care deeply about teaching teachers, encourage teachers to do,
use equipments effectively, Teachers must check and protect teaching aids well.
School leaders should urge and encourage all members of the school Council
together to do the business of growing people well.
3.2.4. For education and training department
The department plays animportant role in improving the teaching
qualifications of teachers of English with the new policy. I suggest that education
and training department should pay more attention to train the good teachers and
frequently organize the meeting in which teachers of English have more chances to
update and exchange the latest information and teaching methods. Inaddition, the
department should popularize the experience idea which gets high reward for the
teachers of English in our province and they will be able to improve themselves
with better approaches.

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This is my effective experience, I have summed up in the teaching process. I
hope to receive the attention, the sharing and the sincere comments which support
my research to be more perfective and practical.
Sincerely thank you!

Yen Dinh, April10th 2021.
THE SCHOOL HEADMASTER

I declare that this is my experienced initiative,
I do not copy the other person's content.
Written by

Nguyen Phuong Thuy


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REFERENCE DOCUMENT
1. TiengAnh5 (Macmillan - The Ministry of Training and education
publisher)
2. Halliwell, S. 1992. Teaching English in the Primary School.London:
Longman
3. Larsen-Freeman, D. 1986. Techniques and Principles in Language
Teaching. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press.
4. Communicative language teaching today by Professor Jack C. Richard.
5. Brown, Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, Prentice Hall.
6. Nunan, David 1991 Language Teaching Methodology, Prentice Hall.