VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES
*** TỐNG THỊ HOÀNG HẠNH
A STUDY ON APPLYING GROUP DISCUSSION APPROACH
TO ENHANCE SPEAKING SKILLS OF ENGLISH FOR
THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS AT AN DUONG
VOCATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL

(p dng đưng hưng tho lun theo nhm đ pht triê
̉
n
k năng ni cho sinh viên năm thư
́
nhâ
́
t ti
Trươ
̀
ng Trung câ
́
p Nghê
̀
An Dương)


VOCATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL

(p dng đưng hưng tha
̉
o luâ
̣
n theo nho
́
m đê
̉
pha
́
t triê
̉
n
k năng ni cho sinh viên năm thư
́
nhâ
́
t ti
Trươ
̀
ng Trung câ
́
p Nghê
̀
An Dương)

Chapter 1: Literature review………………………………………………………
1.1. Speaking skill…… …………………
1.1.1. What is speaking skill? ……………………………………………………
1.1.2. The requirements for speaking skill………………………………………….
1.1.2.1. Accuracy………………………………………………………………
1.1.2.2. Fluency………………………………………………………………
1.1.3. Common problems during Speaking Activities………………………………
1.2. Cooperative Language Learning……………………………………… ………
1.2.1.The background of CLL……………………………………………………
1.2.2. Types of Cooperative Learning group………………………………………
1.2.3. The benefits of Cooperative Language Learning……………………………
1.3. Group discussion in speaking class………………………………………………
1.3.1. History of the group discussion……………………….……………………
1.3.2. The concepts of group discussions/group work……………….…………….
1.3.3. The formation of group discussion…………………………………………
1.3.4. Seating arrangement in group discussion…… ……………………
1.3.5. The role of learner in group discussion……………………………………
1.3.6. The role of teacher in group discussion……………………………………
1.3.7. The advantages and disadvantages of using group discussion in the speaking class…………
1.3.7.1. Advantages…………………………………………………………….
1.3.7.2.Disadvantages…………………………………………………………
Chapter 2: Methodology
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ii
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2.3. Methodology……………………………………………………
2.3.1. Subject…………….…………………………………………………………
2.3.2. Techniques for Collecting Data………………………………………
Chapter 3: Findings and Recommendations
3.1. Student survey…………………………………………………………
3.1.1. The importance of English speaking skill……………………………………
3.1.2. Students’ interest in English speaking skill………………………………….
3.1.3. Students’ preference to how they like to practice speaking skill in class……
3.1.4. Students’ opinion on speaking in group discussion………………………….
3.1.5. Students’ opinion on the advantages and disadvantages of group discussion.
3.1.6. Students’ preference in group discussion…………………………………….
3.1.7. Factors cause difficulties when speaking in group discussion…………
3.1.8. Students’ desires in learning speaking through group discussion……………
3.2. Teacher survey……………………………………………………………………
3.2.1. Teachers’ opinion on teaching speaking skill………………………………
3.2.2. Teachers’ opinion on the important role of group discussion in improving speaking skill….
3.2.3. Teachers’ opinion on group discussion in teaching speaking skill…………
3.2.4. The frequency of difficulties………………………………………………….
3.2.5. Teachers’ current teaching methods in using group discussion in speaking class…………
3.3. Reports on the students, teachers and the materials………………………………
3.3.1. Report on the students………………………………………………………
3.3.2. Report on the teachers………………………………………………………
3.3.3. Report on materials…………………………………………………………
3.4. Recommendations………………………………………………………………
3.4.1. Recommendations for students……………………………………………….
3.4.2. Recommendations for teachers……………………………………………….
3.4.3. Recommendations for materials………………………………………………
3.4.4. Recommendations for administrators………………………………………
Part III: Conclusion
1. Summary of the study………………………………………………………………

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LIST OF ABBREVIATION
GD: Group Discussion.
EFL: English Foreign Language.
ELT: English Language Teaching.
CLL: Cooperative Language Learning.
LIST OF Figures and table
1. Figures:
Figure 1: The importance of English Speaking Skill.
Figure 2: Students’ interest in English speaking skill.
Figure 1: Students’ preference to how they like to practice speaking skill in class.
Figure 4: The frequency of difficulties.
2. Tables:
Table 2 : Students’ Profiles.
Table 3: Teachers' Profiles.
Table 3: Students’ opinion on speaking in group discussion.
Table 4: Students’ opinion on the advantages and disadvantages of group discussion.
Table 5: Students’ preference in group discussion.

evitable necessity in the modern world. Furthermore, oral English is the necessary aspect
of learning because of the high-speed development of the society, whether you can express
your-self fluently and properly shows how well you master the language.
In Vietnam, English is the most popular foreign language to be used as a mean of
communication. The use of English has dramatically increased in Vietnam, especially in
the last decade. English is spoken by many Vietnamese and is considered a necessity for
those who are studying or doing research and for those who are working in places like
foreign companies, holiday resorts, banks, hotels, universities, colleges, school and other
public places.
Despite the widespread emphasis on the acquisition and use of English, many
students (including the final year graduates) still struggle to communicate in English for
academic purposes. One of the primary reasons is that they lack the confidence and skills

2
needed to successfully speak in English. As a result, they become apprehensive when
asked to speak in public. The feeling of apprehension or fear when speaking in English has
become a serious matter because it affects their employability and their self-esteem. Many
students admit that they are unable to secure their dream jobs after they have graduated.
This is likely due to their high levels of apprehension and their lack of confidence when
asked to communicate in English during job interviews. Speaking in a foreign language has
often been considered as the most demanding of the four skills: listening, writing, reading
and speaking. When attempting to speak, learners must muster up their thoughts and
encode those ideas in the vocabulary and syntactic structures of the target language.
Moreover, English Language Teaching (ELT) in Vietnam has affected the
traditional teaching model through which students learn English just to pass exams and
teachers lecture mainly to help students achieve this goal. The result is that students do not
have enough English to communicate effectively with others. Obviously, students‟ overall
skills cannot be enhanced, especially among students at the college and university level.
Being a teacher of English at An Duong Vocational School, I am well aware that
teaching speaking is not an easy job because there are many problems still existing in

3. Scope of the study
To improve speaking skill of the first year students at An Duong Vocational School,
the teachers can apply diversified methods and techniques. However, the study is limited to
the applying group discussions to enhance English speaking skill for 1
st
year students at An
Duong Vocational School.
4. Methods of the study
By observing and reviewing 100 1
st
-year students and 7 teachers of English in
speaking-class at An Duong Vocational School, the researcher received necessary
information to be able to create the framework of the questions from the interviews with 7
teachers and the questionnaire with 100 students in five classes: Mechanics, Industrial
Sewing, Vehicle Repair, Industrial Electricity and Computer Science. To be able to receive
as much valuable information as possible from the interview and the questionnaire, the
researcher took notes of every conversation with each teacher and some specific students.
5. Design of the study
The writer organizes this research paper in order to make the readers easily
understand the paper. Apart from INTRODUCTION that presents the rationale, aims,
scope, methods and design of the study and CONCLUSION that reviews the main content
and findings of the study, summarizes the limitations revealed during the process of

4
completing this research paper and suggests the further research, the paper is divided into
three chapters:
Chapter 1, Literature review, presents the basic concepts relevant to the study as
English speaking skills, the requirements for speaking skills and group discussion in
speaking skills.
Chapter 2, Methodology, provides an overview of the current situation of English

features of one.
1.1 Speaking skill
1.1.1 What is speaking skill?
Speaking is a natural people‟s ability which was founded since they were born, and a
lot of researches on it have been done to work out various definitions. One of the definitions
is speaking considered as “the productive skill in the oral mode”
(sil.org/lingualinks/languagelearning). In addition, according to Bygate (1997, p.3),
speaking is often thought of as a popular form of expression which uses the unprestigious
colloquial register”. It means that students must speak so as to carry out many transactions
and speaking skill is a medium of communication which languages are learnt through. To
speak a language, especially a foreign language, learners need to know “not only the
linguistic knowledge” but also “the culturally acceptable ways of interacting with others in
different situations and relationship” (Hymes, 1971). It is assumed that speaking a language
requires more than the language‟s knowledge itself; speakers must learn the way native
speakers use the language to speak fluently and accurately. Nowadays the goal of teaching
speaking is to improve learner‟s communication skill. “Speaking is an interactive process of
constructing meaning that involves producing, receiving and processing information”
(Brown, 1994; Burn & Joyce, 1997). Speaking needs that learners not only should know how
to produce specific points of language such as grammar, pronunciation, or vocabulary but
also understand when, why and in what ways to produce language communicatively.
To sum up, speaking is the most effective way for people to communicate with each
other. That is the reason why speaking skill is an important part of the second language
learning and teaching. This is the working definition which the researcher will put into
consideration during the whole research process.

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1.1.2. The requirements for speaking skills
Byrne (1984, p. 9) stated that “The main goal in teaching the productive skill
of speaking will be oral fluency: the ability to express oneself intelligibly, reasonably,
accurately and without undue hesitation (otherwise communication may break down

In the Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics (p.141),
fluency is “the ability to produce written and/or spoken language with ease speak with a
good but not necessarily perfect command of intonation, vocabulary and
grammar communicate ideas effectively, and produce continuous speech without causing
comprehension difficulties or a breakdown of communication”
Dave Willis pointed out three concepts such as: “Accuracy, fluency and
conformity”. According to Challenge and Change in Language Teaching, J. Willis and D.
Willis, ed.Heinemann, 1996 p. 50: “Learners need opportunities to process language for
communicative purposes as receivers and producers. These opportunities should be
unfettered by the perceived need to conform to teacher expectations in terms of the
production of specific language forms.”
When the students get used to the language and learn to communicate properly then
the fluency comes. We cannot expect from a beginner to speak fluently. For improving
fluency, the learners should be given the chance to speak spontaneously without worrying
much about accuracy.
1.1.3. Common problems during speaking activities
According to Penny Ur, the problems faced in speaking activities are:
- Inhibition: Unlike writing and listening activities, speaking requires some degree
of real time exposure to an audience. Learners are often inhibited about trying to say things
in a foreign language in the classroom. They tend to be worried about making mistakes,
fearful of critics or losing face, or simply on the attention that their speech attracts. As a
result, they can not speak English spontaneously in the classroom.
- Nothing to say: Sometimes learners complaint that they cannot think of anything
to say. In other word they cannot express themselves, beyond the guilty feeling that they
should be speaking. In addition, the lacking of background knowledge or experience also is
a big challenge to prevent them from speaking English fluently and accurately.
- Low or uneven participation: The problem is also compounded by the tendency
of some learners to dominate while others speak a little or not at all. Only one participation

8

(Daniel, Barbara, and Diane, 1991).

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1.2.2 Types of Cooperative Language Learning
According to the Johnsons (1994, cited in Jack C. Richards& Theodore S. Rodgers,
2001, p.196), three types of Cooperative Learning procedures should be used in an
integrative way: formal Cooperative Learning, informal Cooperative Learning, and
Cooperative base groups.
- In formal co-operative learning, students are working together for durations of
one class period to several weeks to achieve shared learning goals and complete specific
tasks and assignments. Any assignment can be reformulated as co-operative.
- In informal co-operative learning, students work together on a temporary basis to
achieve a joint learning goal. These ad-hoc groups last from a few minutes to one class
period. Informal co-operative learning can be used to focus students‟ attention on the study
material or topic of the class. Perhaps the most common way in Finland to do this is to
engage students in focused discussions for a few minutes on a “turn-to-your-partner”-basis,
which can be interspersed throughout a traditional lecture.
- Co-operative base groups are usually long-term, heterogeneous Cooperative
Learning groups in which the members stay on a permanent basis from one to several years.
The purpose of the base group is to give support, help, feedback and any kind of assistance
to its members. The aim is to develop cognitively and socially in healthy ways.
1.2.3. The benefits of Cooperative Language Learning
No one can deny the benefits brought about by CLL in learning and teaching
language. Cooperative Language Learning is gaining broad acceptance in a multitude of
language learning classrooms, principally because of its contributions to improving
productivity and achievement and providing more opportunities for communication. In
order to make the potential advantages of Cooperative Language Learning clearer, this
section examines in detail the benefits of using Cooperative Learning in foreign language classrooms.
- Providing the chances of input and outpu: Cooperative Language Learning
provides more opportunities for learners to comprehensible input and output and the

esteem.
Another affective benefit of Cooperative Learning is an increase in students‟
motivation. Clarke (1989, cited in Hedge, 2000) suggested collaborative classroom
motivated students to involve in language reading activities. Motivation leads to more
extensive use of language and the development of greater language proficiency. In the
cooperative groups, face-to-face promotes interaction and resource, reward, role
interdependence can be powerful supports and encouragements for the insecure students.
Learners are thus motivated to pursue larger academic success.

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- Increasing a variety of language function: Cooperative Language Learning
allows learners more chances to produce language in a functional manner. In traditional
classroom, discourse is usually initiated by the teacher in an artificial setting, but
Cooperative Learning can be used to create a mimic real-life social settings in which
language is normally used. For a specific purpose in accomplishing the group task,
cooperative groups can be helpful to students in developing their social abilities. In the
study of Michael Long and his colleagues (1976, cited in Lightbown & Spada, 1999)
with adult learners of English as a foreign language in Mexico, they found that the
students produced not only a greater quantity but also a greater variety of speech in
group work than in teacher-centered activities. Students may find themselves involve in
requesting, clarifying, making suggestions, encouraging, disagreeing, negotiating of
meaning, exchanging conversations during group work. Working in Cooperative
Learning Groups will foster learner discourse control and thereby ensures opportunities
for language learning.
- Fostering learner responsibility and independence: The final aim of
Cooperative Learning is to make each student a stronger individual through doing work
cooperatively. Cooperative Learning, therefore, emphasizes individual accountability.
It places responsibility for action and progress on each of the members of the group
somewhat equally. Positive role and goal interdependence help students become more
autonomous and self-controlled and less dependent upon outside authority, and over

discussion, the teacher may have to decide how to organize the group,
heterogeneously or homogeneously? Moreover, during the course of group discussion,
the teacher has to weigh in his or her mind whether to intervene to bring an
enthusiastic discussion onto a more linguistically fruitful path, or to stay in the
background to allow the students to make their own discoveries about the language
and the best way to learn it. To handle these problems properly demand, the teacher
need map out beforehand an overall procedure of group discussion.
1.3.2. The concepts of group discussion/ group work
To begin with, Adrian Doff (1991) describes group work as follows: “In group work,
the teacher divides the class into small groups to work together (usually four or five
students in each group). As in pair work, all the groups work at the same time” (Doff 1991, p. 138).
According to the movement of learners during a group activity, Harmer (1992) and
Ur (1991) distinguish between flexible and fixed groups. While working in flexible groups,

13
Harmer suggests that students start in set groups, and as an activity progresses the groups
split up and reform; or they join together until the class is fully reformed. (Harmer 1992, p. 246)
In addition, it is wise, according to Ur, to settle fixed groups or at least semi-
permanent groups to avoid problems every time the groups are about to form, For that
reason, Ur suggests: “The physical reorganization can be done very simply by getting some
students to turn face those behind them if they are normally in rows. This may need a little
modification . . . but once the students are settled into fixed groups, they will assume them
quickly and with little fuss each time” (Ur 1991, p. 7).
Ur (1991) points out that group work provides some learners with confidence and
courage: “students who are shy of saying something in front of the whole class, or to the
teacher, often find it much easier to express themselves in front of a small group of their
peers” (p.7). Another point taken by methodologists concerns the amount of learners´
participation and mutual co-operation among learners during activities carried out in groups.
Richards and Lockhart (1999, p.153) say that group work is likely to increase the
amount of student participation in the class and promote collaboration among learners;

will be divided into groups according to their abilities, thus creating the same ability
groups or mixed ability groups. Counting out avoids the ability differentiation within
groups, this method Harmer calls „chance‟. Finally, changing groups presupposes that
students keep changing while the activity continues.
Friederike Klippel (1991, p.9-10) when considering grouping students for
communicative activities, particularly discussions, describes some main types such as buzz
groups, hearing, fishbowl, network, onion, star, market, opinion vote, or forced
contribution. What both Klippel and Harmer suggest is a couple of theoretical methods for
dividing students into groups or pairs, which will inevitably in many cases require
students‟ change of positions.
Byrne (1991, p.32-33), on the other hand, prefers as little students‟ movement as
possible, suggesting that it is reasonable, taking into consideration a time factor influenced
by moving students and frequency of the use of pair work and group work, to make use of
the existing classroom arrangement. Byrne advises to get students to work with a neighbor
or neighbors and move students only if it is absolutely necessary. It is important for
students to be able to form pairs and groups quickly and without any fuss, Byrne concludes.
Drawing upon my personal experience, I agree with Donn Byrne that it is
important to give learners a very limited number of opportunities for moving around
the classroom with relation to the process of dividing students to groups or pairs. Once

15
allowing students to move around the classroom in order to form groups or pairs, it
may be rather difficult to draw students‟ concentration back on the activity together
with the time that is likely to be lost. Therefore, the use of the existing arrangement
seems to me to be the best solution.
1.3.4. Seating arrangement in group discussion
There are many different ways to arrange seating in a classroom. Arrangements in
group discussion can be beneficial for promoting positive learning environments for
specific situations.
Whether or not seats are assigned, the layout of the desks or tables is a major

the middle for teacher centered lessons or at one of the desks for activities in which the
teacher is a collaborator or facilitator. This arrangement can work for any size class, but
might have to be changed to include an inner and outer circle if the room is not large
enough for the number of students.
0
0 0
0 0
0 +
0 0
0 0
0 0
- Horseshoe
The horseshoe shape has the same benefits as using a circle, whether arranged one or
more desks deep. Additionally, it provides room for the teacher to move easily among
students and allows the teacher to redirect students‟ attention to a board or projection
without the need to move seats.
+
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0 0 0 0
- Groupings
Putting desks in small groups so that students face each other is ideal for group
activities. When the desks are placed tightly together they provide a larger working surface
and promote collaboration among the students in the group. The teacher can move easily

17
among the groups and, if arranged so that no student‟s back is to the board, can still
redirect attention to provide instruction or directions.

18
personal experiences. Third, the teacher can function as an observer, put himself into
learners; position to assume and notify their difficulties.
Like Rechards and Rodgers (2001, cited in Johnson, 1994) the teacher has to create
a highly structured and well-organized learning environment in the classroom, setting goals,
planning and structuring tasks, establishing the physical arrangement of the classroom,
assigning students to groups and roles and selecting materials and time.
Harel (1992) also indicated that the teachers provide broad questions to challenge
thinking; they prepare students for the tasks they will carry out; they assist the students
with the learning tasks, and they give few commands, imposing less disciplinary control.
1.3.7. The advantages and disadvantages of using group discussion in the speaking class
1.3.7.1. Advantages
It is acknowledged that group discussion has recently taken on increased
psycholinguistic significance in the English language classroom because of a range
advantages as follows:
- Firstly, group discussion increases the amount of students‟ participation. It is known
that lessons have limited time - usually only forty five minutes - and there are on average
thirty students in the class, so students get bored very quickly waiting for their classmates'
answers. As a result, instead of practicing English they start doing something different -
talking, doing homework or even playing cards, for example. In consequence, this leads to
general chaos if the teacher is not quick enough to perceive and prevent it. Needles to say,
the teacher should involve the whole class in an activity. According to Michael H. Long, if
we have five or six groups, then there will be five or six times the amount of talking. When
the teacher divides the learners into groups of four or five, there will be at least ten or eight
students speaking at the same time, providing that the class consists of forty people.
- Secondly, group discussion increases language practice opportunities. In all probability,
one of the main reasons for low achievement by many classroom EL learners is simply that
they do not have enough time to practice the new language. This is especially serious in
large EFL classes in which students need to develop oral skills. Group discussion is a good
way to increase language practice opportunities.

can dominate proceedings, less extrovert people may not participate fully enough”. In
addition, he also identified some problems that teachers have to deal with in group discussion:

20
- Firstly, the teachers may lose control of their class, that there may be too much noise,
due to, all the students speak together.
- Secondly, some students would prefer to the focus of the teacher‟s attention rather than
working with their peers.
- Thirdly, individuals may fall into group roles that become fossilized, so that some are
passive whereas others may dominate.
- Fourthly, students in groups may not focus on the point of their task, but talk about
something else, often in their mother tongue.
- Finally, groups take a lot of time for organizing.
To sum up, those problems concerned about grouping and class control will be handled
properly along with teachers „familiarity of their students‟ learning strategies and deep
research in the teaching materials. Group discussion could help students to enhance their
communicative ability, sharpen their sociable skills and foster the cooperation and team
spirit in future career development.