THANH HOA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

NHU THANH SECONDARY & HIGH SCHOOL

INNOVATION IN TEACHING

USING SOME ACTIVITIES TO HELP STUDENTS
IMPROVE ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN
SPEAKING LESSONS AT NHU THANH SECONDARY &
HIGH SCHOOL

The writer: Phan Anh Dao
The post: Teacher of English
Innovation of subject: English

THANH HOA 2018

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TABLE OF CONTENT
1: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale of the study
1.2. Aims of the study
1.3. Object of the study
1.4. Methods of the study
2 : CONTENT
2.1. Theoretical and practical basis
2.1.1. Theoretical basis:
2.1.2. Practical basis:
2.2. The status of the research subject:

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1 : INTRODUCTION
1.1. RATIONALE OF THE STUDY:
Knowing English is knowing everything so English has now become one
of the most popular languages in the world . In the tendency of integration of the
global economy, English is one of the most effective communicative tools for
everybody. The role of English is considered to be very important in the fields of
economics, politics, science, culture and education. Being aware of the
importance of English so the society is becoming more and more interested in
teaching and learning English at schools, the curriculums and the methods of
teaching English are innovated to better the needs of learners.
Therefore, today in Viet nam, everyone from the children to the adult
tends to learn English and many English centers are opened to satisfy the
leaners. They are fully aware that knowing English will allow people to access
an incredible amount of information which may not be otherwise available. So
communication skills are essential for a successful career, satisfying relationships
and a personal sense of accomplishment. Communication is seen every day
through TV commercials, interaction with the person opening a door for people
and listening to the manangers of their company speaking. Effective
communication empowers people, provides clear direction and increases
productivity. Without it, people lose motivation and the inability to make a

- Promote active learning of students in English periods, especially in the
of speaking lessons
- guiding students to practise themseves, practise to have skills and
speaking skills in English.
1.3. OBJECT OF THE STUDY
This research is carried out in grade 10A1, 11C1, 12B1 and 12B4 at Nhu
Thanh Secondary & High School
1.4. METHODS OF THE STUDY
In this research, I use some research methods to collect and analyze the
needed data. Recording is used to record the process of giving some activities and
surveying through the answer sheets is used to know the practical situation of
teaching and learning English communication skills.
a. Observation method:
Reading reference books, summarizing material research and visiting
classes of colleagues.
b. Exchange method, discussion:
Discussing with other colleagues after visiting their classes to draw out
experiences.
c. Experimental method:
Teachers can carry out experimental teaching according to the aims of
specific request in speaking lessons
d. Survey method:
Teachers ask questions to test and evaluate the content of the students’
lessons.
2. CONTENT
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2.1. Theoretical and practical basis
2.1.1. Theoretical basis:

many aspects to this subject , and it is no longer considered a subordinate
subject.
Schools have been equipped with full conditions about facilities for study
like language laboratory, books, tapes, and radios
- For teachers:

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Teachers have satisfied with the school’s demand as well as education and
applied the new teaching methods.
The facilities of the school like language laboratory , books , tapes , and
radios are full and Administrator is interested and facilitates the teaching of the
teachers so that they can prove their abilities in the best way.
2.2.2.The disadvantages of teaching speaking lesson:
- For students:
There are so many different students in class and the quality of each
student is uneven.
Many students haven’t determined the importance of English in the current
period, so they aren’t aware of their own learning.
Some students have a limited vocabulary so they can’t know how to speak
a correct sentence
Classrooms are crowded, and the activities of speaking lesson often
practise in pairs or in groups so the classrooms are easily noise.
- For teachers:
There are still some teachers who have difficulty in teaching speaking
skills and choosing suitable skills for each lesson.
Teachers don’t assign the tasks to students clearly.
Teachers don’t create the environment to encourage students to speak
English effectively.


12B1

100%

9%

55%

36%

12B4

100%

9%

55%

36%

2.3. Some solutions to the research subject:
2.3.1. General requirements:
We know that speaking skill plays a very important role in mastering a
foreign language. According to David Nunan (1991) the author of language
teaching methodology book: "Success is measured by the ability to conduct a
dialogue in the language they are learning." To do this successfully, teachers must
make students understand and gain the ability to use the language as much as
possible because the needs of learners are very diverse. Besides, teachers
shouldn’t create unfortunate misunderstanding in the communication process.

questions or assessing and this will help students make faster progress because:
- Assessment helps learners become more confident about assessing language
ability used by others
- Teachers must create a routine for your own classroom - where speaking
English in the classroom can turn into daily conversation, even compulsory for
students.
- Teachers can use this activity to help students retell the stories or
conversations in front of the whole classroom .
- Teachers should create situations, contexts, themes for students to practise
speaking in pairs or groups. In this section teachers can use pictures, photos in
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and out of a textbook or topics close to them as their school, their home, and
their friends, and so on ..
2.3.2.3: Using minimal responses:
Language learners who lack confidence in their ability to participate
successfully in oral interaction often listen in silence while others do the talking.
One way to encourage such learners to begin to participate is to help them build
up a stock of minimal responses that they can use in different types of exchanges.
Such responses can be especially useful for beginners.
Minimal responses are predictable, often idiomatic phrases that
conversation participants use to indicate understanding, agreement, doubt, and
other responses to what another speaker is saying. Having a stock of such
responses enables a learner to focus on what the other participant is saying,
without having to simultaneously plan a response.
2.3.2.4: Practising grammar structures:
Unlike other languages , English has a word order and grammar rules to be
followed . The implementation of the structures and grammar principles in
practising speaking English is not simple. Therefore, when communicating in

- The instructions that are given at the beginning are crucial. If the students do
not understand exactly what they have to do, there will be time-wasting,
confusion, lack of effective practice, possible loss of control
- Select tasks that are simple enough to describe easily; and in monolingual
classes, you may find it cost-effective to explain some or all in the
students’mother tongue.
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- Teachers encourage students to contribute to the general ideas for speaking
lessons ( Brainstorming activity)
- Teachers can ask students some questions to check their understanding
2.3.3.2. Controlled practice:
- Need to comply with the guideline from easy to difficult. Teachers should give
different types of exercises such as Substitution drills, using Prompts or picture
cues or language games for students to form structure they have just studied.
- Teacher goes from group to group, pair to pair, monitor, and either contribute
or keep out of the way whichever is likely to be more helpful.
- Providing general approval and support;
- Helping students who are having difficultly;
- Keeping the students using the target language(in many cases your mere
presence will ensure this!)
- Tactfully regulating participation in a discussion where you find some students
are over dominant and others silent.
- Correcting mistakes and language problems that students have such as
pronunciation or grammar. Teachers should provide some new words that relate
to the subject. However, teachers shouldn’t correct unimportant mistakes and
should encourage other students to find out the mistakes and correct them.
2.3.3.3:Free practice/production:
This is the last activity of the lesson so teachers should give the general

Example of group work.
Task 3 (Unit 3 – Part B: Speaking - English 11)
This is a free activity and aims to develop fluency in speaking. The
procedure may be:
Divide students into groups of four or five.
Read through the instrutions and make sure that each group understands what to
do. Choose one “secretary” in each group to write the list but emphasis that
everyone in the groups should agree on what to write.
While the activity is going on, move from groups, but do not interrupt
more than is necessary.
When some groups have finished their discussion, stop the activity, ask
one person from each group to report on what they decided
Give feedback: - Content
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- Popular mistakes

Example of using games. ( chain games)
Task 1 (Unit 1 – Part B: Speaking - English 11)
Teacher: The man is tall
Student 1: The man is tall. He has got a square face
Student 2: The man is tall. He has got a square face, a crooked nose,…..
Example of free practice.
The aims of this task are to:
- Improve students’ speaking and listening skills
- Expand students’ vocabulary about many diffirent topics
- Use expressions and idiomatic phrases.
- Use gestures
- Make eye contact

3. SCHOOL
4. FOOTBALL GROUND

Students’ activities

- Students do in
groups of three or
fours.

- Others look at the
screen and correct
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5. MEDICAL CENTRE
I. Pre-speaking: ( 3 minutes)
- Shows a picture of Ha Xuyen village.

- Discuss in pairs
- Take turns to talk
about Ha Xuyen
village.

- Asks students to look at the pictures and suggestion to
talk about Ha Xuyen village.

Road/ narrow

School/ small and poor
+ There/ no bridge/ in Ha Xuyen village.

Task 1: (5 minutes) The villagers of Ha Xuyen are
discussing plans to improve the life in the village.
Look at the pictures and say what they should do.
- Ask sts to practise in pairs before presenting in front
of the class.
They should widen
the road.

Now

In the future
They should build a
new school.

Now

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In the future

They should build a
new bridge.

Now

In the future

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- Practice in pairs

- Read the plans and
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1. Resurface the road
2. Build a medical centre
3. Build a football ground
4. Grow cash crops
5. Build a bridge
6. Build a new school
* Possible results:
a. Children will have better learning conditions; they
will be more interested in learning.
b. Villagers will have a shorter way to town; cars and
lorries can get to the village.
c. People’s health will be looked after better; the sick
will be cured in time.
d. Young people can play sports; people can hold
festival there.
e. People can export the crops; they will have more
money.
f. Roads will not be muddy and flooded after it rains;
people can get around more easily
- Presents new words.
* Match each word with its Vietnamese equivalent
Words
Vietnamese equivalents
1. Flooded


- Work in groups

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Produce conversations in groups of three or
four
- Gives model:
A: What should we do to improve the life in the
village?
B: I think we should resurface the roads
C: That’s a good idea. If we resurface the roads,
they won’t be muddy and flooded.
D: Yes. And people can get around more easily
- Lets students produce conversations in groups.
- Asks some groups to present in front of the class.
IV. Post-speaking: ( 7 minutes)
- Gives question relate to the fact
What should we do to improve our English?

- Look at the pitures
and suggestion to
ask and answer in
pairs.

A: What should we
do to improve our
English?
B: We should

- Speak English more fluently
- Widen our English vocabularies.
- Do English tests better
* Complete this conversation:
A: We are not very good at English.
What should we do to ………………………….?
B: I think we should ………………………………..
C: Yes, if we …………………, we can …………….
D: That’s a good idea.
- Asks two or three pairs to present.
V. Homework: ( 2 minutes)
- Learn all new words by heart then make sentences
with them.
- Write four conversations in the notebook
- Prepare new word for listening lesson.

- Work in pairs.

2.4. Result after applying the research in teaching:
Students are more active in English speaking lesson
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Students communicate with each other better.

Class

Students

Excellent-good


50%

25%

12B4

100%

25%

50%

25%

3: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
3.1. Conclusion:
To develop speaking skill for students, it requires preparation from both
sides, teachers and students.
First, teachers have to identify the focus of the lesson to select appropriate
content, then there is a clear plan
Second, students need to be prepared at home well, actively learned.
If they do well with the above requirements, certainly teachers will develop
speaking skill for students.
3.2. Suggestion:
To teach a speaking lesson higher efficiency, the first thing to have good
facilities, full intuitive full furniture, vivid pictures for teachers to have the time
to invest in new initiatives and prepare for speaking lesson better.
Nhu Thanh
The Headmaster’s identification


Kết quả
Cấp đánh
đánh giá
Năm học
giá xếp loại
xếp loại đánh giá xếp
(Phòng, Sở,
(A, B,
loại
Tỉnh...)
hoặc C)
Sở
C
2013-2014

communication skills in
English at Nhu Thanh high
school
2.
3.
4.
5.
...
* Liệt kê tên đề tài theo thứ tự năm học, kể từ khi tác giả được tuyển dụng vào
Ngành cho đến thời điểm hiện tại.
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