The effectiveness of using information gap
activities to promote grade 10 students’
participation in speaking lessons at Nguyen
Dang Dao high school, Bac ninh province

Nguyễn Thị Hường Trường Đại học Ngoại ngữ
Luận văn ThS. Chuyên ngành: English teaching methodology; Mã số: 60 14 10
Người hướng dẫn: Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Van Do
Năm bảo vệ: 2013 Abstract: This study is majorly aimed at investigating the effectiveness of using information gap
activities on grade 10th - students’ participation for at Nguyen Dang Dao High School, Bac
Ninh. In order to achieve this aim, the quasi- experimental research was carried out in 8 weeks
with classroom observation, students’ self report and interview as data collection instruments.
The sample of the study consisted of 90 grade 10th students from two intact classes. The
experimental group received the intervention of information gap activities in four speaking
lessons while the control one did not. The results indicated that experimental group’s
participation level increased significantly while the control group’s stayed almost the same.
Hopefully, this study can raise teachers’ awareness of using information gap activities in
teaching speaking to enhance learners’ involvement.

Keywords: Kỹ năng nói; Hoạt động điền thông tin; Phương pháp giảng dạy; Tiếng Anh

Content
PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
This research is carried out for the following reasons: the increasing important role of English in

others in order to accomplish the task. Therefore, information gap activities are of great use in
English speaking lessons. Making full use of these activities will definitely result in successful
speaking lessons.
The aforementioned reasons have urged the researcher to conduct the study entitled “The
effectiveness of using information gap activities to promote grade 10 students’ participation in
speaking lessons at Nguyen Dang Dao high school, Bac Ninh province”. It is hoped that the
research will provide a better view to the effectiveness of these activities on students’
participation in speaking lessons.
2. Purpose and significance of the study
The study aims at:
+ investigating the effectiveness of using information gap activities on students’
participation level in English speaking lessons.
+ Raising language teachers’ awareness of exploiting these activities.
The study can be beneficial to both students and teachers. First, it enables teachers to confirm the
importance of information gap activities in teaching speaking skills. Hence it promotes teachers’
using of these activities in class, which creates a natural and highly motivational environment
for students to speak the target language to their partners.
3. Research Questions
In order to achieve the above- mentioned purposes, the following research questions were
formulated and needed to be answered:
1. Does the implementation of information gap activities really increase grade 10 students’
participation in speaking lessons at Nguyen Dang Dao high school?
2. What are students and teachers’ attitudes towards IGA?

4. Method of the study
The study was carried out using quasi- experimental research method with the use of classroom
observation, questionnaires students’ self- reports, and interviews as data collection instruments.
Two intact classes were samples of the study. Forty five students from class 10A5 were chosen
for the control group while the same number of students from class 10A6 was the experimental
group that receives the treatment of IGA. To collect data for the study, classroom observations

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