PREAMBLE
1. Rationales
1.1. Language skills training means life skills training for students
Listening - speaking - reading - writing are regular activities in our life. However, among
these four activities, listening & speaking appear more frequently. Two features characterize
this pair of activities as follows:
- Firstly, it is a pair of spoken language activities - direct communication by sound in
language activities.
- Secondly, the listening & speaking pair includes features of both perceiving and making
speech.
At present, it is quite necessary to research and find out curricula and methods of
effective language skills training for students who are at the beginning of the primary level in
particular.
1.2. Good listening & speaking help students well perceive and explore the world
Listening & speaking are a means for students to reason and perceive the surrounding
world actively. Students use their listening & speaking activities directly addressing some
problem or situation arising in their communication environment.
Due to such an important role of listening & speaking in students’ perception and
exploration of the world, it is very necessary to study further features of listening & speaking
activities so that appropriate training methods for students’ psychological and perceptive
features and feasible for teaching in school can be created.
1.3. Language skills training in primary schools remains a lot of shortcomings
Our primary school curriculum aims at meeting students’ needs of four skills: Listening
- speaking - reading - writing. However, teachers, in current fact, focus too much on the
reading & writing skills, usually pay less attention to listening-speaking skills training and get
perplexed to organize studying activities related to practice of these two skills when teaching
Vietnamese subject.
In addition, teachers are not fully aware of the important role of listening and speaking
skills in the process of learning Vietnamese subject for primary students. System of exercises
is not attractive to students; ways of organizing are monotonous, boring. Especially, there are
too many programming contents taught in primary schools, teachers do not have enough

thesis will be released.
- Establish curricula and organization methods of the language skills training process.
- Propose system of exercises to train language skills for grade 1 students, and design
some sample lesson plans to concretize procedure of language skills formation.
- Verify feasibility of the proposals raised in the thesis by making experimental
assessments to finally come to necessary conclusions and recommendations.
3. Object and scope of research
3.1. Object
- Curricula and performance procedures of language skills training for grade 1 students
through Vietnamese subject.
- Organization methods of language skills training through practice exercises.
3.2. Scope
- The thesis is limited on considering and studying the two preliminary listening and
speaking skills.
- The thesis focuses on the curricula, methods and performance procedures of language
skills training for grade 1 students through Vietnamese subject in primary schools using the
current curriculum of Ministry of Education and Training.
4. Research methodology
4.1. Survey
4.2. Analysis
4.3. Statistics, categorization, comparison
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4.4. Pedagogical experiment
5. Scientific hypothesis
If we rely on a basis of solid scientific theory, the actual survey conducted thoughtful and
proposed contents as well as the process of training measures through scientific, attractive and
suitable exercise activities for students at the beginning of primary levels. It is certainly that
the quality of training listening & speaking skills for students at the beginning of primary
levels will enhance. Students will practice more forcefully and actively that helps them
perform speaking & listening activities more effectively, giving them the confidence, calm

class; the document “Teaching Speaking and Listening in the Primary School” - 2000 by the
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group of authors Elizabeth Grugeon, Lyn Dawers, Carol Smith and Lorraine Hubbard makes a
general introduction to listening – speaking skills; the book “Curriculum Guidance for the
Foundation Stage” considers development and language use capability in communication to
be the focal point in children’s study; the book “National Literacy Strategies: Framework for
Teaching” mainly focuses on the extremely important role of listening – speaking skills in
language teaching; these two skills are considered an indispensable part of primary students’
studying activities although they are not separately defined in the curriculum frame; the
document “Speaking, listening, learning” (2003) highly appreciates information exchange
activities by spoken language and encourages teachers to have such more activities, through
guidance on different kinds of dialogues, to develop children’s reasoning and reflection
abilities; In The “National Curriculum”, asserted that the duration for training speaking &
listening skills occupies one third English curriculum.
Especially, the book “Teaching oral language” (Building affirm foundation using
ICPALER in the early primary year) by John Munro (Australian Council for Educational
Research), the first edition in 2011, is worth paying attention to. In this book, the author not
only clearly states persuasive bases showing the importance of listening & speaking skills in
the process of reading & writing skills teaching and knowledge perception but also mentions
focal points of communication languages during the initial primary education stage with a
model named ICPALER. The model aims at equipping teachers with basic contents and
methods to control students’ listening – speaking skills.
J.A. Foley (2006), New Dimensions in the Teaching of Oral Communication (Anthology
series 47 Published by Seameo Regional language Centre) is also a good book. It comprises
16 issues selected as sample ideas and viewpoints of “New standards in communication
teaching”. Such issues divided into 3 groups: Basic theory, real application and
communication assessment. In general, the document has mentioned the roles of speaking
skill in studying a language, especially the development of children’s language skills.
According to R.J. Campbell (2006), “Developing the primary School Curriculum”,
documentation helps us have an overview of the development programs in primary education,

primary students into consideration. According to his opinions, teaching via and for
communication has made changes in various aspects of the mother tongue teaching curricula
in some countries around the world.
+ The author Phan Phuong Dung, in her thesis “Language means represent respect in
Vietnamese communication”, systematically lists language means representing respect and
discusses about some samples of exercises to teach cultural speech for primary and secondary
students. In addition, she also elaborately states wording means expressing respect in
communication, application of such means in communication as well as in teaching
Vietnamese language subject for primary students in her writing “Wording means
representing respect in communication and capacity of application in teaching Vietnamese
for primary students”, The author specifically mentioned the means of word to express
politeness in communication features and the application of words to express politeness in
communication and the application of words to express politeness in teaching Vietnamese in
primary schools. These documents are foundations for us to think about listening and
speaking skills teaching methods for students at the beginning of primary levels in order to
correct mistakes made in communication.
+ In the book “Communication and Vietnamese teaching in primary school”, the two
authors Phan Phuong Dung and Dang Kim Nga study such communication issues and
activities as forms of communication, functions of communication, native language and
communication factors, types of speech and communication activities, the process of speech
making and perception in communication.
+ The author Nguyen Quang Ninh discussed the training speaking & writing skills in
communication method in his two studies “Some issues in communication-oriented written
and spoken native language teaching in primary schools” and “Vietnamese language skills
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training”, refers to communication-oriented speaking skills training. In addition, he also
emphasizes communication-oriented dialogues.
+ In her thesis “Some methods to promote effectiveness of speaking skills training for
primary students via Vietnamese subject”, the author Tran Thi Hien Luong clearly shows the
further practice-oriented teaching method to train speaking skills for students on the basis of

Curriculum of teaching Vietnamese in the year 2000 was compiled based on the
orientation: Teaching Vietnamese through communication; making full use of students’
experience in using Vietnamese language; applying opinions of integrated Vietnamese
language teaching; combine Vietnamese language teaching with culture and literature
teaching. Based on the above-mentioned orientations, the 2000 Vietnamese program has
defined objectives of the subjects in terms of three aspects: skill, knowledge and attitude.
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Especially, it considers formation of skills as one of the leading important factors in teaching
language in primary school and affirms that teaching Vietnamese means teaching students
how to use modern Vietnamese for learning and communication in environment which is
suitable for their age groups.
1.2.2.3. Vietnamese language curriculum of Research Center for Educational
Technology
The curriculum is built on the viewpoint on scientific language selection of modern
Vietnamese language to premise and express it in the form of a subject based on new
principles: Development principles, standard principles, minimum principles. Based on these
principles, Vietnamese language curriculum of Research Center for Educational Technology
has identified an explicit teaching process. Through the learning system, students can obtain
scientific knowledge along with the corresponding skills
Conclusion
Formation and development of listening & speaking skills have been taken into much
consideration, and listening & speaking skills teaching programs have been applied as a key
task in schools all over the world. Especially, listening & speaking skills are ranked at the
same level with the others and considered as the basic and foundation to help students deal
well with other skills. In fact, the educators has put forward purposes of Listening - Speaking
- Reading - Writing skills training for students in the first grade classroom in addition to
supplying knowledge in teaching Vietnamese. However, the contents and duration spent on
teaching listening-speaking is still much less than on reading and writing within the current
Vietnamese teaching program.
CHAPTER 2

closely interrelate and interact with each other.
2.1.2. Phases of skills formation & development, and language development of Grade 1
students
2.1.2.1. Phases of listening and speaking skills formation
- Phase 1: When a child is newly born (1-2 years old), he has no sense of skills. He often
turns towards the source of the voice, listens to spoken language (start paying attention to
speech sounds
- Phase 2: From 2.5 to 5 years old, children start learning skills on demand of children
through three ways: imitation, role-play and monologues. Children know to observe the link
between speech sounds and objects, colors (start to understand the meaning of words).
- Phase 3: At primary education level, children form skills consciously. They listen to and
remember all words / sentences repeated many times daily (Begin engraving upon memory /
receiving vocabulary)
- Phase 4: At this stage, children’s’ mature skills become more sophisticated, children
practice speaking through simulation of sounds when they listen to (start passive speaking,
imitating speaking).
- Phase 5: Communicating in spoken language community (active speaking).
2.1.2.2. Language development of Grade 1 students
- During Grade 1 period, the students’ language increases fast; and the syntax is
developed. The students can present issues briefly, clearly as the result of not only their
exposure to scientific concepts but also the requirements of study activities and intellectual
activity. The primary schools become the best education environment for the children to be
guided to develop their vocabularies, to learn the correct structures of their mother tongue, to
expand their knowledge, and to improve their personalities. In order to develop the children’s
language, the teachers must be conscious of training their students in their spoken languages
skills (mainly conversational language) in conversations.
In summary, learning Vietnamese language in general and training language skills in
particular at primary education level must be based on the children’s past experience and their
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experience in using language so that their language ability and ability related to thinking with

which are formation (or production) of speech and receipt (or perception) of speech.
Communication is affected by communication-related elements, which are communication
purposes, communication contents, communication modes, and communication contexts.
Communication plays a very important role in life. People use language for
exchanging daily information, establishing and maintaining relations. It also helps people
relax and entertain after their hardworking hours. Therefore, it is a practical and necessary
approach to train the students in listening and speaking skills attached to communication
improvement direction. Through communication, the students are trained in language skills in
general and listening & speaking ones in particular. In addition, communication also helps to
create favorable conditions for them to express themselves in life.
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Applying the theory of communication into practicing listening & speaking skills for
students in grade 1 is considered from the aspect of pronunciation, vocabulary and syntax.
Students practice pronunciation correctly, use vocabulary, create and express sentences
correctly.
2.2.2. Theories on conversations
Conversation is a verbal communication activity created by the involved people in order
to help them exchange their information or thoughts, emotions etc in accordance with a set
forth purpose.
Based on the interlocutors in communication, conversation is categorized into
monologue and multi-dialogue. Based on the narrow communication context of a
conversation, conversation is sorted into ritual normative conversation and non-ritual one.
Besides, there are possibly compulsory conversations and arbitrary ones.
The communicating activity consists of word exchange activity, word responding
activity, interactive activity. Principles of negotiation in conversation, principle of turn-
taking, principle of relevance in conversation; principle of respect of participators’ face, and
cooperative principle (CP) in conversation
To apply the theory of conversation in training listening & speaking skills for Grade 1
students with good results, teachers need to identify the factors that participate in the
conversation; creating students’ demand for engaging in the conversations, creating a

contents, and standards of language skills through the whole program, especially through the
system of exercises for students, to improve their language skills in the Vietnamese Language
textbook for Grade 1 students in order to find out the weakness and strengths of the exercise
system; based on which, we propose contents and methods of training in language skills for
the Grade 1 students through Vietnamese subject.
- Method: In order to survey the exercise system in Vietnamese Language Textbook for
Grade 1 students, we have mapped out a plan of carrying out the survey with the steps as
follows:
Step 1: Building up a criteria for classifying the exercises
Step 2: Creating the foundations for evaluation of the exercises
Step 3: Preparing statistics, processing data and giving correct and unbiased assessment
comments on the exercise system in the current Vietnamese Language education program.
- Criteria:
+ Based on the skills in need of being trained
+ Based on the purposes of the exercises
+ Based on the requirements and contents of the exercises
2.3.2.2. Categorization of the exercises used for language skills training for Grade 1
students in current Vietnamese Language textbook.
- Exercise group served for speaking skill training in syllable learning sections
- Exercise group served for speaking skill training in general practice sections
2.3.2.3. General comment and assessment
a) Strengths: Besides providing them with knowledge, the textbook helps to train the
students in Vietnamese skills. The exercise system is arranged in an order with higher and
higher requirement levels. The contents of the lessons in the study subjects aims to help the
students practice and be trained in language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing,
closely attached to the topics; which enables the students find it easier to use words as well as
to express their ideas in sentences.
b) Weaknesses: The issues of selecting topics, balancing the number of the exercises, and
organizing suitable modes of training need further discussing. It is necessary to specify more
clearly the procedures of language skills training for the students. It is also a need to

events or more.
In summary: The students will be aware of their listening and speaking skills in
communication and practice them to perfect if the importance of listening and speaking skills
are paid attention to during the process of teaching Vietnamese language. This means that the
language ability must be formed in a way parallel with communication skills training. In order
to reach that goal, the work of training Grade 1 and Grade 2 students in listening and speaking
skills must be done through language as well as speech acts.
Conclusion to Chapter II
1. Verbal communication is an activity, which is very typical of and most important to
human beings.
2. One of the main purposes of language skills training in primary schools comes to
forming and developing the students’ verbal communication ability, including the ability of
speech perception (listening) and that of speech production (or speaking).
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3. On the other hand, the students will be aware of their listening and speaking skills in
communication and practice those skills to perfect if the importance of listening and speaking
skills are paid attention to in the work of Vietnamese language teaching.
4. In order to reach that goal, in the work of training Grade 1 students in language skills,
it is necessary to determine the contents of language skills training based on the purposes and
language standards for Grade 1 students. The work of language skills training for the students
must be considered in the courses of phonetics, lexicology, and grammar, based on which the
students’ skills of using words, sentences, and conjunctions are shaped.
5. Besides determining the contents of language skills training, we must pay attention to
the training organization process.
6. In order to train Grade 1 students in language skills training effectively, we not only
consider language skills training in relation with the skills systems but also combine it with
organization modes and teaching methods suitable for each skills training content as well as
for the cognitive psychology of the children at different ages.

CHAPTER 3

Communication training consists of 2 basic forms: Communication-based listening and
speaking skills training and topic-based listening and speaking skills training.
By listening and speaking training in communication activities, students have
opportunities to practice simultaneously real and friendly communications. Topics are close to
students’ communication context. Their listening and speaking are used in word selection,
sentence building and in situations of speech in order to improve their ability of language
through communication activities.
3.2. EXERCISE SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ORGANIZING LISTENING &
SPEAKING SKILLS TRAINING
3.2.1. Principles of building exercise system
Activities of exercises built on 5 basic principles are: ensure objective, standard of
language, optimality, and systematic and development
3.2.2. Exercise system for listening & speaking skills training
Apart from introducing teaching methods to be used in listening –speaking skills training
for grade 1 students, this thesis also recommends an exercise system for providing more
support to teachers in listening & speaking skills training. The specialty of this exercise
system is not only the presentation of exercise contents or organization procedure but also the
introduction of methods in training listening – speaking skills for grade 1 students. Therefore,
if such method is mentioned as a measure for enhancing efficacy of listening – speaking
skills training in the previous section, in this section it may act as one of three core
components establishing exercise system in listening & speaking skills training for grade 1
students. On the other words, value of such exercise system recommended in the thesis is
formed by 3 basic factors including: content, implementation procedure and organization
method.
Based on such principle, our exercise system consists of 2 groups as follows:
Group 1: Exercises for listening & speaking skills training by pronunciation
 Type 1: Exercises for training skills in pronouncing sounds and accents
 Type 2: Exercises for training skills in pronouncing syllables
Group 2: Exercises for listening & speaking skills training by communication activities
 Type 1: Exercises of listening & speaking skills training by wording

 Type 2: Exercises for training skills in pronouncing syllables
 Pattern 1: Exercise of pronouncing syllables with only one main sound
 Pattern 2: Exercise of pronouncing syllables with main sound and final sound only
 Pattern 3: Exercise of pronouncing syllables with medial and final sounds only
 Pattern 4: Exercise of pronouncing syllables with medial and main and final sounds
only
B. ORGANIZATION OF PRACTICE
 Type 1: Exercises for training skills in pronouncing sounds and accents
 Pattern 1: Pronunciation of vowels
 Procedure
Step 1. Learn to pronounce /a/.
Step 2. Recognize characteristics of /a/
Step 3. Recognize other vowels.
 Illustrating exercise
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Medial
l o a

FinalInitial
Exercise 1: Distinguish monophthongs i/ê
Exercise 2: Distinguish diphthongs
 Pattern 2: Pronunciation of consonants
 Procedure
Step 1. Learn to pronounce /b/
Step 2. Recognize characteristics of /b/
Step 3. Recognize other consonants
 Illustrating exercise
Exercise 1: Pronounce and distinguish initial consonants
Exercise 2: Pronounce and distinguish final consonants
Exercise 3: Pronounce and distinguish semi-consonants

ba
bµ
b a
Step 1. Pronounce /loa/
Step 2. Analyze it
Step 3. Take /loa/ to model
Step 4. Find new sounds
 Illustrating exercise
Based on the syllable /loa/ with main and medial sounds, replace initial sound to form
new sound
Pattern 3: Exercise of pronouncing syllables with main and final sounds only
 Procedure
Step 1. Pronounce a sample sound: /lan/.
Step 2. Analyze
Step 3. Draw diagram of the syllable /an/
Step 4. Find sound with syllable /an/
 Illustrating exercise
Exercise 1: Based on the syllable with main and final sounds in /nan/, replace initial
sound to form new sound
Exercise 2: Based on the syllable with main and final sounds in /nan/, replace final sound
/n/ by /t/ to form new sound.
Pattern 4: Exercise of pronouncing syllables with medial, main and final sounds
only
 Procedure
Step 1. Pronounce with round lips /an/: /an/ → /o/ - /an/ - /oan/
Step 2. Analyze /oan/: /oan/ → /o/ - /an/ - /oan/
Step 3. Draw diagram of /loan/:
Step 4. Find words with /oan/
Illustrating exercise
Based on examples with medial, main and final sound /oan/, do the same to sound /oat/

Pattern 3: Practice listening & speaking and vocabulary building through synonyms
2. Exercises for listening & speaking skills training by sentence building
 Procedure
Step 1: Approach sample materials
Step 2: Analyze materials
Step 3: Apply
Step 4: Review, comment
 Illustration
- Pattern 1: Exercise of listening and speaking following samples
- Pattern 2: Exercise of listening and expressing sentences through questions and answers
- Pattern 3: Exercise of listening and expressing sentences through visual channel
3. Type 3: Exercises of listening & speaking skills training by communication
activities
 Pattern 1: Listening & speaking skills training through conversation
 Procedure
Step 1: Watch pictures
Step 2: Organize students to talk
Step 3: Students speak in sentences, texts
Step 4: Teacher reviews and motivates
 Illustrating exercise: Picture: House sweeping.
 Pattern 2: Listening & speaking skills training through role play
 Procedure
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Procedure Teacher Students
Step 1: Prepare - State general requirement
- Give assignments to
students
- Listen to requirements
- Get assignment (role)
Step 2: Fulfill - Organize students to fulfill - Role-play

- Representatives of each
group present the results
discussed in class
Step 3: Comment,
assess
- Collect comment ideas
- Orient , adjust
- Organize comment,
evaluation and grading,
supplement needed
comments, motivate spirit of
team work
- Self-review; assess
- Self-adjusting according to
the suggestions of teachers (if
any)
Step 1: Give assignments to students
Step 2: Teacher introduces to divide students into groups in accordance with demand of
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exercise.
Step 3: Teacher gives students assignments and discussion time.
Step 4: Observe discussion and instruct groups to discuss.
Step 5: Representatives of groups present findings
Step 6: Review, judge, classify, add necessary ideas, and appreciate working spirit of
groups.
 Illustration: Story “Grandmother and grandchildren” (Vietnamese language 2 –
week 11)
 Pattern 4: Listening & speaking skills training through telling delivered stories
 Procedure
Step 1: Provide materials

4.3. Method of practice
To gain reliable data, practice is carried out in two phases:
- Phase 1: Investigation practice (academic year of 2010- 2011).
- Phase 2: Checking and reviewing practice (academic year of 2011-2012).
4.4. Practice contents
4.4.1. Investigation practice
Based on a system of exercises and language skills for grade 1 students proposed in the
thesis, we choose some exercises to design tests in the form of exercise sheets. Then extra-
time teaching is implemented in accordance with duration suitable with the requirements.
Prior to selecting exercises for investigation practice, some requirements that must be satisfied
include: typicality, newness, comprehensiveness and suitability. Following are groups of
exercise used in investigation practice.
Group 1: Exercise for listening & speaking skills training through pronunciation
Group 2: Exercise for listening & speaking skills training through communication
activities
We investigate in both groups, of 5 types of exercises, 3 are chosen corresponding to 3
exercise sheets (appendix 4):
• Exercise sheet 1: Training pronunciation skills of syllables
• Exercise sheet 2: Training listening & speaking skills in wording
• Exercise sheet 3: Training listening & speaking skills in sentence building
4.4.2. Teaching practice
As presented, the main content of comparative practice is to carry out teaching with 2
different syllabuses: practice syllabus (with a system of exercises proposed in the thesis) and
comparative syllabus (with normal syllabus). In fact, this also means: Part of teachers and
students are involved in practice teaching, the rest implement normal teaching (however, we
also help teachers design their syllabuses more carefully under spirit of textbook and teacher’s
book of each class of practice).
Due to limit scope of the thesis, it cannot present all lessons. Only 5 lessons are presented
5 designs in theme of "my family" to illustrate practice procedure and clarify designer’s ideas
(see appendix 6 – Illustrating design).

Comparative
Weak Average Good Very good
Chart 3: Comparing testing results of practice class and comparative class on listening &
speaking skills training in sentence building for grade 1 students
4.6. General conclusion on practice
4.6.1. In terms of investigation practice
Contents of investigations, surveys used in practice are new. However, statistics, analysis
and summary of investigation carried out with students in all urban, rural and mountainous
areas show that general situation is quite optimistic and opens new ways of teaching in urban,
rural and mountainous areas, in difficult as well as convenient places. With the above results,
it is possible to preliminarily conclude that a system of exercises for listening & speaking
skills training is feasible and possible for use in actuality of teaching Vietnamese language in
primary schools.
4.6.2. In terms of teaching practice
Results of teaching practice of a system of exercises for listening & speaking skills
training proposed in the thesis present positive effects in training some important skills such
as: pronunciation, listening – reading words, listening – reading sentences. To equip students
with good skills of listening and speaking, teacher not only concerns the process of making
skills through a logic, tight and explicit working system but also meet difficulties in
application of effective teaching methods in each period for improving quality of listening &
speaking skills training for students. During the process of teaching, supply of knowledge is
coupled with corresponding skills. The thesis pays special attention on 2 skills of listening
and speaking.
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Weak Average Good Very good
Practice
Comparative
GENERAL CONCLUSION
The thesis is distilled from the basic achievements of the theory (the theory of
communication activities in the language, conversation theory, theory of operation